


When No One Else Is There

by Kittens



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Anal Sex, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Frottage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-02 19:22:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21166622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittens/pseuds/Kittens
Summary: Snoke arranges the marriage of Kylo Ren and Hux against their will. Forced into a union they did not ask for, Kylo and Hux hate each other. As time passes, they gradually realize they have more in common than they thought. Including a mutual attraction that can not be denied by either party.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The art was done be the wonderful [gaylo-ben](https://gaylo-ben.tumblr.com/)! Special thanks to [BoStarsky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoStarsky) and [cklondon](https://cklondon.tumblr.com/) for betaing this fic!

It had been several years since Major Armitage Hux had been on board the _Supremacy_. Everything looked just as he remembered it, but he wasn’t there to recall not-so-fond memories of his life as a cadet. He’d graduated early and been made a lieutenant at 16, and he knew he’d risen quickly through the ranks. To be a major and not even 30 years old was unheard of. 

Even with his impressive record, it was strange that he’d been summoned to the _Supremacy_ for a meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke of all things. Hux knew that very few people ever spoke to him, and fewer still saw him in person. Only the highest ranking members of the military had that privilege.

Hux wasn’t particularly worried about the meeting. If Snoke wanted him dead, he would have simply given the order. He might be one of the best officers in the Order, but there would be no reason for Snoke to dispatch of him personally. And if Snoke hadn’t brought him to his ship to kill him, then the summons could only be a good thing.

He imagined that perhaps Snoke had a particular engineering problem that he needed Hux to fix. With all of his successful designs for ships, ground vehicles, and other weaponry, it was no wonder that Snoke would personally call for him when he needed something in particular built. Hux couldn’t imagine just what that might be, as the mightiest weapon the galaxy had ever seen was already well under way. And despite designing Project Starkiller, Hux was not in charge of it, so it wasn’t as if Snoke wanted a status update.

The only thing that Hux couldn’t figure out was why he had been called to meet Snoke in person. Surely most anything could be discussed over holo. Even if it were of a very sensitive nature, the First Order had top notch encryption. No one would be able to listen in. Perhaps Snoke didn’t want him to design something from the ground up. Maybe he already had a prototype that needed to be fixed.

Hux was imagining some kind of ship that Snoke had been working on, one that he needed Hux to successfully complete, when he walked inside the throne room. As much as he wanted to, he knew better than to look around. Still, he couldn’t help but notice that everything was red, including the guards. Only Snoke himself and a figure kneeling before Snoke’s throne were wearing other colors.

He came to a halt slightly behind the kneeling figure and focused his gaze on a spot just above Snoke’s head. Having never seen Snoke before, Hux hadn’t known what to expect but his first thought was that he looked like a rotting corpse. At least he didn’t have the smell to match. Remembering the rumors that Snoke was a mind reader, he pushed those thoughts aside. It wouldn’t do to anger the Supreme Leader.

“Major Hux,” Snoke said, sounding far more cheerful than he would have expected. “I have some excellent news for you. My apprentice has recently completed his first round of training and I plan to have him working very closely with the rest of the First Order.”

Hux listened, not sure what Snoke’s apprentice had to do with him or why that was excellent news. The only thing that he could imagine was that Snoke planned on assigning his apprentice to his the Finalizership. Hux wouldn’t consider that “excellent news,” but if he had to work with the apprentice, then he would make the best of it.

“There is one slight issue that has to do with my apprentice’s origins. As he was raised outside of the First Order, there will be some who question his loyalties. To prove that he is loyal to me and to the Order, I have decided that he will marry one of the most loyal officers.”

When Hux realized where Snoke was going with that line of thought, he had an instant feeling of dread. He glanced towards the kneeling man, who hadn’t moved a muscle, before returning his attention to his chosen spot above Snoke. 

“Since you are unattached and the highest ranking officer of a similar age, I have selected you to become his husband.”

Although he knew that was Snoke’s plan, actually hearing him say those words made him feel sick. He wanted to scream and cry and yell at Snoke and tell him that he would never marry his apprentice. He wanted to walk out of the throne room and never look back, but he did none of those things. Instead, he held himself in place, the only movement a slight nod of his head.

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” were his only words.

“Because of this new responsibility, I think a promotion is in order. You’ll be a colonel by the time you are married. I think a month will be sufficient time to make preparations.”

Hux couldn’t help the small smile at the thought of another promotion, and so soon. As much as he didn’t want to marry a stranger, a promotion just might make the ordeal worth it. He was already on track to become the youngest general in First Order - and Imperial - history, and the marriage could only accelerate that.

“The wedding preparations will be made for you. You’ll resume your normal duties and we’ll have measurements taken for your outfit. Other than that, the only thing you need to do is show up for the wedding.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader.” Hux took another look at the kneeling man. He would have liked an opportunity to talk to the man who was to be his husband - if he actually was Snoke’s apprentice - but there would be time for that later, when he wasn’t standing in front of the Supreme Leader.

“Ah, I believe I haven’t yet introduced you to Kylo Ren,” Snoke said, motioning towards the man. “He’ll be staying on board the _Supremacy_ until the wedding, as that is when he’ll be formally introduced to the Order. He will be made available to you if you need him for anything before then.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader.”

Snoke dismissed him and before he left, Hux took one last look at his husband-to-be. With his hood over his face, he couldn’t tell anything about his appearance. As he turned and walked away, he thought he caught a glimpse of dark hair, but it could have been part of his costume. Hux would have liked to see him or speak to him, but there would likely be time for that later. He did have a month, and he was sure that he and his fiance would find some time to talk things over before their wedding.

***

Kylo knew that the day was coming, but he was no happier about his wedding than he was the day Snoke had ordered him to marry some First Order major. Or colonel. Whatever his rank, Kylo didn’t care. He didn’t care about his fiance at all.

He barely remembered his name and had no idea what he looked like, but he knew all he needed to know about him. Although he hadn’t read his mind, he had sensed many things from the man the day they had met. 

When he’d first walked into the throne room, Kylo had sensed confidence, but also fear. That hadn’t bothered him, but then he felt that he was overconfident and too sure of his own abilities, Kylo had immediately disliked him. Things only got worse from there.

When Snoke had informed the major of his plans, Kylo had thought that he would argue or refuse. He’d felt all kinds of anger, simmering right under the surface. That was how Kylo had felt about it as well, but he actually screamed and let Snoke know exactly what he thought. His fiance, on the other hand, had pushed all his emotions away and simply agreed. 

Kylo couldn’t believe he was being forced to marry someone as emotionless as that. He’d never thought about marriage before, but if he had to do it, he would have at least wanted someone that experienced actual emotions. And then there was the worst part - when Snoke had mentioned the promotion, the other man had been excited. He couldn’t believe that someone would put his feelings aside for something as _insignificant_ as a promotion.

That was all he needed to know about his husband. With any luck, he wouldn’t actually have to deal with him. He doubted he could stand being around him for any length of time. Kylo knew he would often be away from the ship on missions, so really, the marriage was only a formality. He’d get married so High Command wouldn’t worry about how he’d come from the Republic, and hopefully never see his husband again.

It was not an ideal situation, but Kylo had no choice in the matter. It was either marry the colonel or Snoke wouldn’t keep him as an apprentice. He knew what Snoke did to failed apprentices, and although he was sure he could avoid that, he had nowhere else to go. And he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

So he would marry the colonel - with Snoke fully aware of how much he hated it - and get on with his life. All he had to do was get through the wedding itself. That would be its own challenge. He’d hoped that it would be a small event - just the important people of the First Order - but Snoke had other plans. Not only had Snoke described it as a “grand event,” but he was also going to broadcast the wedding to the entire First Order.

Why anyone would want to watch a wedding - even one as grand as Snoke promised - was beyond Kylo. But Snoke seemed to think it would be good for morale. It also meant that everyone would be aware that he was married, and Kylo hated that idea as well. It was stupid to present their sham as a marriage as anything else, and Kylo wished Snoke wasn’t going to tell everyone.

At least his wedding outfit wasn’t the worst thing in the galaxy. It was simply a much nicer version of his usual robes. The main difference was a floor length red cape, attached by a gold chain at each shoulder. Kylo couldn’t really complain, as he knew it could have been much worse. When he’d been told he’d have wedding clothes, he’d imagined an elaborate gown, so he was glad it wasn’t that.

Still, he hadn’t put it on. He’d been glaring at it, as if that would change anything. He knew he had to put it on and go to his wedding, but he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he just didn’t show up. He knew he’d be in trouble, possibly enough for Snoke to want to dispose of him. In the best case scenario, he’d simply be dragged to his wedding.

With a sigh, Kylo finally made a move to get dressed. He’d already let Snoke know exactly what he thought about the marriage - there was no reason to make the point again when it would change nothing. He ran a hand over the fabric, enjoying the soft texture. At least not everything would be terrible about the wedding.

Kylo dressed slowly, putting on all the different layers and making sure each one was perfect. As much as he hated his fiance and their wedding, there was no excuse to not look his best. Especially since everyone would see him. 

When he was finally fully dressed, he clipped his lightsaber to his belt and looked at his mask. Snoke had forbidden him from wearing it at the wedding. He’d argued to wear it at least for part of the ceremony but Snoke had been firm. Just like everything else about the wedding, Kylo had no say in the matter.

He remained in his quarters for as long as possible before leaving for the ceremony. As he left, he realized that they wouldn’t be his quarters anymore. The plan was to have droids pack up what little he had during the wedding and move it to his new quarters that he would share with Hux. At least he wasn’t attached to his quarters. He just hoped the droids didn’t damage anything.

Kylo made his way to the room where the ceremony would take place. Already there were tons of people about, but they were too concerned with their own business to pay any attention to him. No one seemed to know who he was, as few people had seen his face before. That left him free to walk around without being bothered, and it gave him a chance to wonder just who his new husband was.

He imagined his fiance had already arrived, but since he had never seen him, he couldn’t tell which of the men he would soon be married to. All he knew was that his husband was a colonel and that he was near his age, which meant he could immediately eliminate all of the older men. He had no idea what the different rank insignia meant, so that was useless, but as he looked around, his gaze settled on a red-haired man.

If he used the Force, he could have confirmed if that was intended, but he really didn’t care. Not wanting to look at him, or anyone else, any longer, Kylo went to a nearby room where he could wait for the ceremony to start. When Snoke called to him, he slowly got up and walked back to the ceremony.

Now, the room looked different, with everyone lined up and in position for the ceremony. There were rows of stormtroopers in the front and the rest of the room was filled with officers and ambassadors, who were sitting on raised platforms behind the troopers.

He already knew that he would be standing on the stairs in front of the window, but when he’d seen the room two days ago, there hadn’t been a red runway leading up to the spot where he’d be standing, nor had there been massive First Order banners hanging from the ceiling. There were two banners, each split in half. One set framed the window while the other hung like curtains around the spot where his soon-to-be husband was waiting.

Kylo glanced over at Snoke, who was on a balcony above the proceedings. He nodded towards him and motioned him to go forward. Once again, he considered leaving, but he knew training with Snoke would make him stronger. Perhaps that was the whole point of the marriage - his hatred of his husband could make him more powerful.

He walked along the red carpet, his cape billowing out behind him. As he drew closer, he took notice of his fiance for the first time. It was the red-haired man he had seen earlier and for a brief moment, they were looking into each other’s eyes, but Kylo didn’t maintain contact. He didn’t want to look at him.

As soon as he was standing in front of the colonel, Snoke began the ceremony. His speech was far too long, Kylo thought. He just wanted to get it over with. But instead, Snoke was thanking people for attending and went on about unity in the First Order and unity in the galaxy. It might have been a nice speech had it been a true marriage and not some fraudulent scheme.

Soon the speech was over and it was Kylo’s turn to participate. Snoke started with the colonel - Hux was his name - making him say vows that Kylo knew he didn’t mean, and then Kylo had to repeat them as well. He knew he mumbled half the time but he really didn’t care. Then, two gold bands floated down towards them and they plucked them out of the air. Kylo almost put the one he took on his own finger, but one glance at it told him it would never fit. Then he remembered that he was supposed to put the ring on Hux’s finger.

Hux grabbed his hand and put the ring on his finger, then offered up his own hand for Kylo to do the same. He did so quickly, doing his best to not even touch his husband. Once the rings were in place, Kylo dropped his hand, but he knew the worst was to come.

Snoke pronounced them married and then ordered them to kiss. Kylo hesitated but then he grabbed Hux’s hand and leaned in, kissing him quickly to the sound of applause. The kiss didn’t last very long and soon, Kylo pulled away and released his hand. He turned ready to leave but he saw that everyone was on their feet, still clapping. He froze, not sure if he was supposed to do anything else.

He saw Hux move out of the corner of his eye and when he looked back at him, he saw that he was holding his arm out to him. Kylo stared at the offered arm and then quickly walked down the stairs and out of the room, prepared to head to the hangar where his shuttle was waiting to take him to whichever ship would be his new home. Hopefully his new quarters would be large enough that he would be able to have some personal space away from Hux.

Before he could get very far, he felt himself frozen in place, unable to move a muscle. He didn’t struggle, knowing exactly what the cause was. It was a Force trick that he had learned as well. 

“We need to talk before the reception,” Snoke said from behind him. At the mention of the reception, Kylo realized he had forgotten about that. Snoke walked in front of him, and Kylo felt himself be released, allowing him to follow Snoke into the room he had waited in earlier. To his displeasure, Hux followed him in as well.

“I don’t think you fully understand the purpose of this arrangement,” Snoke said once the door had closed behind Hux. “In order to convince people that you are loyal to the First Order, they need to believe that the two of you are in a happy, loving relationship.”

“No one’s going to believe that anyone could be in a legitimate relationship with the likes of him,” Kylo said, gesturing to Hux. “You might as well have married me to a droid!”

“You’re not even making an effort,” Hux said. “I’m not any happier about this marriage, but I thought we’d try to make the best of it. You’re the one making it more difficult than it needs to be!”

“You’re certainly happy about your promotion!”

“Silence!” Snoke ordered. “The two of you may yell and fight with each other as much as you like in private, but in public, you will act as if you like each other. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Kylo grumbled. He still didn’t think anyone would believe it, but he would do as ordered.

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Hux said. 

“Good. Now go to the reception and remember. You are being watched.”

Kylo looked at his new husband, hating that he had to pretend to like him. But what choice did he have? 

Hux offered him his arm again, and Kylo took it. He just hoped they wouldn’t be required to stay at the reception long, as he wasn’t sure he could maintain the illusion of a happy couple for long.

“You don’t need to make this any more difficult than it is,” Hux whispered as they walked out of the room, arm in arm.

“You’re the one who’s difficult,” Kylo grumbled back.

“I have gone along with this and played my part perfectly. It’s about time you do the same.”

“Can you just… not talk to me?” It wasn’t far to the area where the reception was, but Kylo didn’t want to listen to him more than necessary. It was going to be hard enough to do what he needed without Hux prattling on.

When they finally made it into the reception hall, Kylo saw that there were already tons of people there. He would have liked nothing more than to let go of Hux and lose himself in the crowd, but he had to keep up appearances. And he knew he had to make up for earlier, when he’d walked away from Hux in front of the wedding guests.

So instead of ditching his new husband and going to the bar where he would hopefully be able to drink enough to forget the entire ordeal, he kept hold of his arm and smiled as he walked into the room. As they were making their way to the table, someone stopped them, congratulating Hux on his marriage.

Kylo had no idea who the man was, but he decided it was as good a time as any to make the room think that they were in love. He pulled Hux closer to him and wrapped his arms around him. Hux seemed startled by the action and for a moment, Kylo thought he might jump out of his arms, but he remained where he was. He felt him stiffen as he kissed him on the cheek and his smile was almost genuine. He hated kissing him, but he did like making him uncomfortable.

“What in the hells was that?” Hux hissed at him once they had left that conversation.

“I was told to make it look real,” he said. 

“You could at least warn me!”

“Then we wouldn’t get your real reaction, would we?”

Kylo could feel his anger simmering in the Force and he couldn’t help but wonder just how much it would take to make him burst out in rage. If Hux ruined things, then Snoke couldn’t be mad at him. Especially since Kylo would just be trying to follow orders to make their marriage look legitimate.

As they arrived at their table, Kylo used the Force to pull Hux’s chair out for him. He turned his head, glaring at him, but it passed quickly and he took his seat. Kylo could have simply sat down in his seat next to him and no one would think much of it, but he decided to take things a bit further. He pushed his chair so it was right up against Hux’s before taking his seat.

“What are you doing?” Hux said, keeping his voice down as others were starting to sit down.

Kylo leaned in, whispering into his ear, “Creating the illusion that we are deeply and madly in love.” He started to pull back, then thought better of it and leaned in for a kiss, bringing a hand up to caress his face.

Hux’s lip twitched and Kylo could feel how much he hated it. As much as he didn’t want to be touching him, knowing how much Hux hated it made it a little more bearable. Kylo continued it throughout their meal, finding every little excuse to touch him, and just waiting for him to lose control.

When it looked like that might not happen, Kylo decided to take things up a notch before dessert and pulled Hux into his lap. He wrapped his arms around him, keeping him in place as he kissed his neck. When their cake was brought to them - a large, grand thing decorated with the First Order symbol - Kylo still didn’t let go of his husband to let him eat. Instead, he brought a forkful of dessert to Hux’s mouth, smiling when Hux reluctantly took it.

He thought for sure Hux would yell at him and tell him to knock it off when he fed him, especially since Kylo was using the same fork. He could feel his seething rage and thought that he probably didn’t even need the Force for that. It was likely only a matter of time before he lost control in front of everyone.

Somehow, Hux managed to stay in his lap without screaming or hitting him, which once again led Kylo to think that he might have actually married a droid. If he couldn’t feel his anger in the Force, he would have thought that was exactly what Hux was. But he was human, or something very similar. He was just keeping his emotions inside.

After they’d finished eating, there was dancing, which Kylo would have liked to skip, but he knew he had to do it so he led Hux out to the dance floor and held him close as the music started. 

“Do you think you might be able to warn me about what you’re going to do?” Hux asked. At the moment, it was just the two of them and the music was loud enough that they didn’t have to worry about being overheard.

“Where would the fun be in that?”

“Fun? What part of this do you think is supposed to be fun?”

“If you get angry enough to punch me and start a brawl at our wedding, I think that’d be quite a bit of fun.”

“I do not brawl, Ren. And I certainly wouldn’t do it at our wedding.”

“Really? How much would you let me get away with then? Would you let me do whatever I want in front of all these people?”

“Whatever you’re thinking about, don’t. All we need to do is make it through a few dances like a normal couple and then we can leave. Do not screw this up, Ren.”

Kylo grinned. It would be much simpler to only do as much as he was obligated to - dance and maybe a few kisses - but if he was going to be miserable, he might as well make Hux feel the same.

As they ended their first dance, he pulled Hux in close, kissing him while also reaching down and cupping his ass with one hand. He felt Hux jump in his arms and then finally, he got some small reaction from him. He put one foot on Kylo’s and pressed down. It was uncomfortable, but not painful.

“Don’t do that!” Hux said, keeping his voice low as others moved to join them on the dance floor.

“Why not? You’re my husband, aren’t you?”

“I agreed to marry you, not to let you grope me in public!”

“So you’d let me do it in private?” At that suggestion, Hux’s face started to turn red, although more from embarrassment than anger. Not the direction Kylo wanted things to go.

“Can we please just get through this dance? Without incident?”

“I don’t know,” Kylo said as the next dance started. He leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Might look better if I can’t keep my hands off you. But you need to play along as well.”

He used the Force to pull Hux’s head down to rest on his shoulder, forcing him to stay like that throughout the rest of the dance. When it ended and he finally released him, he looked like he wanted to kill him. Hux grabbed the front of his robe and Kylo thought he might finally hit him, but instead, he pulled him into a kiss.

“I can play your game too,” Hux growled at him, as he pulled away from him.

“Are you sure?” He didn’t wait for a response and picked Hux up, carrying him over to the bar. He sat him down as he ordered drinks, but kept his arms around him. “Your turn.”

Hux picked up his drink from the bar and downed it in a single gulp before turning around in Kylo’s arms. He didn’t move for a few moments, then slowly, he brought up a hand and placed it on his chest.

“Is that the best you can do?” Kylo challenged him as he finished his own drink. “You’re still far more uncomfortable than I am.”

“You’d be uncomfortable too if you were being manhandled by a brute. Let’s get one more dance out of the way and get out of here.”

“I’m having fun. What if I want to stay? It wouldn’t look right for you to leave without your husband.”

“There’s no reason for us to stay longer than necessary,” Hux growled, eye twitching. “We’re going to dance and then leave.”

Kylo released him and then held his hand out, allowing himself to be led back to the dancefloor. Once again they danced, and Kylo kissed him and touched him in ways that might be inappropriate if they had not been married. Hux hated every moment of it.

Still, Kylo didn’t get what he wanted, which was an outburst of emotion - of any kind - from Hux. Knowing that he expected to leave after the dance, Kylo instead wrapped an arm around him and steered him around the room, stopping whenever someone wanted to make conversation. He felt Hux’s irritation growing, but no matter how long he delayed their departure, he didn’t do anything interesting.

Finally, Kylo grew bored of the act and they’d been there more than long enough. He waited until Hux was in the middle of a conversation with someone whose name Kylo couldn’t bother to remember and he lifted Hux into his arms.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Kylo said, holding Hux firmly against him, “I’d like to enjoy some of my wedding night with my husband alone.”

Kylo carried him out of the room, holding him until there was no one around to see. Just to make sure, he reached out with the Force, but it seemed as if everyone was still at the party. Free to do what he wanted, Kylo dropped Hux and continued walking towards the hangar.

“What is wrong with you?” Hux shouted, coming up behind him. “You can’t just drop me like that!”

Kylo didn’t bother to respond, as he didn’t really care about Hux’s complaints. And really, Hux should have known that was coming. He knew it was just an act and he should have known Kylo wouldn’t hold him any longer than necessary.

“You’d better shut up,” Kylo snapped as they approached the hangar. “You wouldn’t want some trooper hearing that we’re already having marital difficulties.”

That was the end of that, as Hux fell silent. Even after they boarded their shuttle, Hux didn’t start in on him again. It wasn’t until they made it to their new quarters that Hux started berating him again. He wasn’t only complaining about being dropped, but everything else he had done at the reception.

“Are you even listening to me?” Hux shouted.

“No.” That was the first thing he had heard Hux say in a long time.

“Look, we’ve both got to deal with this situation. I tried sent you a message so we could negotiate how we would work together, but clearly, that wasn’t worth your time, so we’d better do that now.”

“Do what?”

“We need an agreement about how we’re going to live together. What sorts of things are acceptable for us to do in public and such.”

“Why bother?” Hux was the one who had the problem, not him. Which meant he didn’t care in helping him solve it. 

Kylo started stripping out of his clothes, leaving them on the floor and ignoring Hux’s protests. Normally he wouldn’t have left them laying around, but he knew it would anger his husband. Once he was down to his underclothes, he climbed into the room’s solitary bed, taking up all the room on it.

“You can’t just take the bed!” Hux snarled at him.

“Why not? There’s only one bed, and one of us has to get it. Might as well be me.”

Falling asleep after angering him was probably not the best idea. As much as Hux might want to kill him, Kylo didn’t think he’d actually try. At least, not in as obvious of a way as stabbing him in his sleep. He’d make sure it wasn’t linked to him so he wouldn’t lose his precious promotion. And if he really was that desperate to kill him, then Kylo had the Force to warn him. 

As he fell asleep, he couldn’t help but take some small comfort in the fact that he was in control of their relationship. That’s how he planned on keeping things. If Hux stayed out of his way, then maybe they wouldn’t end up killing each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Links to the art on Tumblr for easy reblogging purposes:  
[Kylux Wedding](https://gaylo-ben.tumblr.com/post/188891435443/kylux-wedding-kylux-big-bang-2019-submission?is_related_post=1)  
[The Wedding Cake](https://gaylo-ben.tumblr.com/post/188894454578/kylux-the-newlyweds-the-wedding-cake-snoke)


	2. Chapter 2

Hux knew he shouldn’t complain. He’d been married to Kylo Ren for nearly a year, and while it was not an ideal situation, Hux knew it could have been far worse. He hated the man, but at least he was frequently off ship so they didn’t actually see each other that often. There were a handful of public appearances that they had to attend as a couple, but Ren had surprisingly behaved himself.

He had never managed to get Ren to come to an agreement about proper behavior in public, but since their wedding night, he’d restrained himself to holding hands and light touches on the arms and shoulders, which Hux could tolerate. Hux would have still preferred to have things formally agreed on, but for the most part, Ren refused to talk to him.

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he was silent. He frequently spoke to himself and made a lot of noise as he moved around their quarters, but that really wasn’t the worst of it. That would be when something angered him and he started attacking things with his lightsaber. It rarely happened within their quarters, but he’d already had to replace furniture on multiple occasions. 

But what was currently bothering Hux was the messes he left. He always threw clothes on the floor and of all things, he had books and pens and paper scattered around the room. Who even used paper anymore? Where did he even get it from? That was baffling on its own, but if he had to have such artifacts, he could at least put them away. Instead, he left it all scattered on tables, his bed, the couch, and occasionally in the refresher.

Hux knew he should let it go. He spent so little time in his quarters as it was that it didn’t really matter what state things were in. If it were up to him, he would be able to return to pristine quarters for a few hours of sleep every night, but it made no difference. And he’d put up with Ren’s messes for the two month’s worth of time that they’d actually been on the same ship. But he had finally crossed a line.

As Hux looked down at his bed, he saw some strange instrument. Hux had no idea if it was a writing utensil or perhaps some tool he needed to fix his lightsaber. What it was really didn’t matter. What was important was that Ren had put it on his bed. Ren had no business putting anything on his bed or even being near it. And not knowing what it was, Hux was reluctant to touch it.

It wouldn’t be difficult to get the object off his bed, even without touching it. He knew it’d make things simpler if he forgot about it and ignored Ren’s behavior, but he was sick of it. How hard was it to clean up after himself? At the very least, couldn’t he restrict his mess to one area of their quarters?

Hux grabbed the tool, or whatever it was, from his bed, glad it didn’t explode in his hand. He wouldn’t put it past Ren to put an explosive on his bed. It was time he told his husband exactly what he thought of his housekeeping standards.

Finding him was simple enough. He’d gone to a training room several hours before and hadn’t accessed any areas since then, so that’s where Hux headed, wondering just what kind of mess Kylo had made there. If he was willing to trash his own quarters so thoroughly, he hated to think what he might do to a place where he didn’t live.

The first thing he noticed when he walked through the door of the training room was not the physical state of the room, but the smell. It made sense that it would smell like sweat, but he decided he would blame Ren for the stench anyway. It was not a smell he was used to - because of his duties as an engineer, he’d managed to get out of fitness requirements since he’d been promoted to major.

Ren was sparring with another man and hadn’t taken notice of Hux yet. It gave Hux a perfect opportunity to observe him without Ren noticing. He’d seen Ren’s body before, but he’d never seen it in action. With his training outfit on, Hux could see his muscles moving as he fought with his opponent. It was difficult not to think about those arms wrapped around him. It had been some time since that had happened and Hux found himself thinking about how nice it was.

He quickly pushed that thought aside. Ren might have a nice body, but he had a terrible personality and nothing would be worth putting up with that, no matter how well equipped he was for hugs. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t look.

As he watched their battle, Hux found himself cheering for the other man. Everytime he managed to land a strike on Ren, he hoped that would be the one to finish him off. Ren was unfortunately very good, and in the end, he was the one left standing.

Ren held a hand out to the fallen man and pulled him to his feet. It was then that he noticed Hux. He took a few steps towards him and Hux couldn’t help but notice the way his hair stuck to his face with sweat and just how large his arms were.

“You need something?” he asked.

“It’s something we need to discuss in private, husband.” He glanced at the other man, knowing an argument would break out and that they couldn’t do it in front of him.

“He knows our marriage is a fraud,” Ren said. “We can argue in front of him.”

“_What_? Ren, no one is supposed to know!”

“I have somewhere to be,” the man said, walking past Hux and leaving the room.

“He’s one of my Knights. I don’t keep much from them.”

“It’s not up to you to decide who gets to know and who doesn’t! We’ve agreed to keep up this act in front of everyone! But if we get to pick and choose who gets to know, then perhaps I’ll tell my friends as well.”

“Didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t have friends.”

Hux couldn’t even argue with that, but that wasn’t the thing he had come to discuss, although he imagined it was going to come up again later. Regardless of how much Ren trusted his Knights, they shouldn’t have been told the truth, especially without Hux’s knowledge.

“We need to talk about our quarters. They’re a mess, Ren. I need you to clean up after yourself, or at the very least, contain your mess.”

“Sounds like you’re the only one with a problem,” he said. A towel flew into his hand and he started wiping his face and neck off.

“We have no choice but to live together,” Hux said, his fist tightening on the tool he’d picked up from his bed. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask for you to keep our shared space clean.”

“And I don’t think it’s a problem.”

“You’re going to start keeping things clean,” Hux said. He poked Ren in the chest with the tool. “This _thing_, whatever this is, was on my bed. You’ll start by at least not putting any of your strange things on my bed and we’ll work on it from there.”

“Strange things?” Ren looked down at the object. “Hux, that’s a pen.”

“I don’t care what it is! Keep it off my bed!”

“Who’s going to make me? You gonna complain to Snoke?” As he spoke, he leaned into Hux’s personal space. Hux wanted to move away and put some distance between them, but he couldn’t let Ren win. If he let himself be pushed around, Ren would never stop.

“Are you entirely sure you’re not a child? How hard is it to clean up after yourself?”

“How hard is it to shut up?”

“Fine. If you want to act like a child, I’ll treat you like one. I’ll have the cleaning droids throw out all your stuff.”

Hux turned to leave, having had more than enough of his husband. He’d have to check when his next mission was scheduled for because it couldn’t be soon enough. Hux hadn’t made it more than a step away when Ren grabbed him and spun him back around. He stood even closer to him and his scent filled Hux’s nostrils. He could see the sweat on his neck and some part of his brain was very curious as to what he tasted like.

Pushing those traitorous thoughts aside, he glared at Ren. He tried to pull away from Ren but found he couldn’t move. Why should someone that acted like a child be granted the power he had? It really wasn’t fair, but Hux was used to that fact of life. Ren was simply the latest --and possibly the worst--example of that.

“Let me go!”

“Don’t touch my stuff,” he said, his voice low. Hux couldn’t help but look at his lips, once again needing to remind himself that Ren was very likely the worst person on the ship. 

“Then don’t leave it on my bed! It’s not a difficult concept to understand, although perhaps for the likes of you, it is.”

Ren smiled and pressed himself closer to him, and he could feel the heat radiating from his body. Hux tried to lift an arm, wanting to push him away, but he still couldn’t move. Still, he was determined to put some distance between them and he managed to get his arm up just enough to draw Ren’s attention. That seemed to distract him enough and he found that he could move again. He tried pushing Ren away, but he was much stronger than Hux and he couldn’t make him budge.

What he did get was a very nice feel of Ren’s muscular chest through his thin shirt. It was thin enough that he could even see the peak of his nipples underneath. He very much wanted to run his hand over them, but instead, he tried pushing harder against Ren. It was hard to deny that Ren was an attractive man. Or at least, he might be if he didn’t act like a spoiled child.

“Maybe there’s something else you’d like on your bed,” Ren whispered, pushing his thigh into his groin. Hux had felt himself growing hard when Ren had first come closer to him, but he’d hoped Ren wouldn’t notice.

“Don’t even think about it,” Hux said. He wasn’t entirely sure what Ren was suggesting, but whatever it was Hux knew he didn’t want it. 

“I didn’t know you found me attractive,” he said with a smirk.

“I absolutely do not,” Hux growled. “You’re hideous and you have the personality to match. Perhaps if you weren’t one of the worst people I’ve had the displeasure to know, I might consider a pity fuck with you just so you could lose your virginity, but as it stands, that won’t be happening.”

“So it’s just been so long since you’ve gotten laid that you get an erection just from being close to someone. Even someone as ugly as me.”

“Unlike you, I have more important things to do than gallivant around the galaxy and see whose bed I end up in.”

“And you’re the jealous type.”

“You wish.”

“I might offer to fuck you someday, but I’d probably get more enjoyment from a droid. I’m actually surprised you can even get an erection. Or what is it? Are you allowed one regulation erection per standard year?”

“There’s nothing in the galaxy that would convince me to fuck you.”

“You’d do it to get a promotion.” Ren put a hand on his waist, his fingers digging into him. He’d have a bruise there, for sure. “You’d suck my dick to be made a general. You’d probably enjoy it so much you’d forget about the promotion and start doing it for fun.”

“You’re delusional.” Hux knew he should leave and deal with Ren’s mess in his own way, but he almost felt like he couldn’t move. He moved his leg slightly just to make sure he could and he discovered that Ren wasn’t keeping him in place. Leaving wasn’t an option because he couldn’t let Ren win even a small victory. 

“What would you do for a promotion, Hux? I bet you’d fuck Snoke.”

That mental image would have been enough to kill his erection under any other conditions, but with Ren pressed against him he didn’t think anything could make it go away. Except perhaps giving in to what his body wanted. But he’d gone his entire life without giving in to impulses. All his previous partners had only been taken after plenty of thought. He was not going to fuck Ren just because he was convenient. Even if they were married.

“You know I can hear your thoughts. You’re trying to convince yourself not to do this. If you want something, just take it.”

As he spoke, the hand on his waist moved around to cup his ass while his other came up and encircled his neck. Their bodies were firmly against each other and Hux could feel Ren’s cock pressed against his abdomen. At least he wasn’t the only one turned on by the situation.

“You’re -” Hux never had a chance to finish his thought because Ren tightened the hand around his neck. His hands instinctively went to Ren’s arm, wanting to pull him away, but he knew that was useless. In his current position, there was little he could do to Ren in return, but he wasn’t about to just stand there and let Ren control the situation.

He reached behind Ren’s head and grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked backwards. As he did that, Ren thrust his hips against him and Hux pushed back against him without even thinking about it. It shouldn’t have felt as good as it did. 

Ren pushed him towards the nearest wall and he couldn’t help but let out a groan as he was slammed against it. Whether it was from the pain of the impact or the pleasure of having Ren against his cock, Hux didn’t know but it didn’t matter. There was plenty of both pain and pleasure as Ren rutted against him. The only problem was Hux wasn’t able to inflict as much pain on Ren.

He still had a hand fisted in his hair, but he needed to hurt him more, but Ren had his free hand pinned. His face, however, was very close to his. If he liked him even a little bit, he might have kissed him. Since he hated everything about him, he instead leaned forward and bit him on the lip. Ren jerked back but soon resumed humping him. 

He bit him again, harder until he could taste blood in his mouth. Hux had wanted to make him bleed since the day they were married although he never expected it would be like this. He found himself pushing against Ren as hard as he could, trying to get the pressure right where he wanted it and it wasn’t long before he found his release. As he finished coming, he found himself relaxing, and being held up by Ren’s arms.

Soon Ren made a loud groan and went still, holding him up with just his body. For several moments, they stayed pressed against each other, panting, their faces only centimeters apart. Ren leaned forward and Hux thought he might kiss him. He started to lift his face towards his when he came to his senses and started pushing Ren away.

Ren was slow to move, but he finally moved enough that Hux could get away from him. Now that the moment was over, he was absolutely disgusted. Not only did he make a mess in his pants, he’d touched Ren and let Ren touch him. He never should have done that, but when he looked at Ren, he knew it likely wouldn’t be the last time.

“Clean up your mess,” Hux said before he left.

***

It took Kylo several moments to process what just happened. Things had not gone as expected and Kylo wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He hated Hux. That hadn’t changed and it never would, but what they had done…wasn’t entirely terrible.

Why it had happened, Kylo didn’t know. It wasn’t as if Hux was even that attractive. Even as he told himself that, he thought he would have liked to have seen more of him. Unlike Kylo, Hux didn’t walk around their quarters half-naked. He’d seen him in a bathrobe before, but that was the most revealing thing he’d seen. As Kylo sat in the training room, he couldn’t help but think about what he was hiding.

He really did not want to think about Hux, especially not like that. What he really needed was to get off the ship and avoid Hux for at least a month. Too bad Snoke had told him he’d be on board for at least two weeks. Something ridiculous about keeping up appearances that he was spending time with his husband.

The last place he wanted to be at the moment was in his quarters, but he did need to change his pants. At least he had spare clothing on his shuttle. He just had to hope that no one would question why he was going there. Most people tried not to pay much attention to him, so that would work in his favor.

As he left the training room, he couldn’t help but knock over some equipment, still feeling frustrated about Hux. The loud clang was somewhat satisfying, although he suspected Hux would chew him out about it if he found out. Which might be worth it if things ended up the way they had before.

Kylo immediately pushed that thought away. He was not going to think about Hux like that. Never again. Hux was just the person he was unfortunately married to. Nothing more. He would never be anything more.

Out in the corridor, he saw his knight had been waiting for him. He frowned, wondering just how much he’d overheard. Or if he’d picked up on anything in the Force.

“Having fun with your husband?” he asked, a smirk on his face.

Kylo shoved him to the side and stomped away down the corridor. Clearly, the knight had some idea of what had happened. But maybe he was just saying that. His knight fell into step with him.

“You’d probably have more fun with him. You want him?”

The knight laughed. “That desperate to get rid of him, are you?”

“You know exactly how I feel,” Kylo grumbled. He had to be careful about what he said while walking around the ship as he never knew where someone else might be and what they might overhear.

“Seems like you’re starting to get along.”

“We’re not.”

“You found something you agree on. Might as well make the best of things.”

Kylo realized his knight had a point. It wasn’t like he could get rid of Hux and as long as he wasn’t on a mission, he had no choice but to live with him. Even if he hated Hux, it didn’t mean they couldn’t have sex. And if what had just happened was anything to go by, it could even be enjoyable. 

And of course, maybe he’d manage to get Hux to shut up if he fucked him hard enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Kylo’s mission had been a disaster. It felt like that was becoming far more common lately. He knew he was distracted, and he knew the likely source of the distraction, but he couldn’t figure out why Hux had suddenly become _such_ a distraction for him. He hated him just as much as he had on his wedding day. Just because he now also occupied a spot in his sexual fantasies shouldn’t have changed anything, but unfortunately it did.

He was starting to think he needed to stay off the ship for a while. Maybe putting some distance between the two of them might help clear his head. He didn’t know how long it would be acceptable for him to stay away, but he didn’t think he could handle sharing quarters with his husband any longer. Maybe returning once a year would be sufficient to keep his head clear and keep up the illusion of a happy marriage.

Hux wouldn’t complain if he left. That much he was certain of. But if Snoke learned he was avoiding coming back to the ship, he might order him to spend more time with Hux. He was constantly checking in on them, making sure that they were playing their parts. He didn’t doubt that Hux would tell Snoke that Kylo was spending plenty of time on the ship, but it wasn’t easy to lie to Snoke. If he suspected that they were lying, he’d pull the truth from their minds.

It was a tricky situation and it was almost enough to make him want to ask Hux for help. He’d known Hux was at least somewhat intelligent almost right away, although he’d never wanted to admit it. Even now, despite the new physical aspect of their relationship, Kylo still didn’t want to admit that Hux had any positive qualities.

Of course, intelligence was the only positive quality Hux had. And even then, he wasn’t that impressive. A droid could probably take his place and there’d be little difference. Perhaps less vain strutting-around and less talking. But he wasn’t sure if he’d notice the difference with as little emotion as Hux showed. Besides mild irritation and anger, he hadn’t seen any sort of emotion from him. He could sometimes feel it in the Force, but he always kept it inside. It was unnatural and it made Kylo’s skin crawl.

When he walked inside their quarters, he could feel that Hux was there and he prepared to shut him out with the Force. It was the only thing he could do to make himself comfortable around him. Before he could do so, he felt something was different with Hux. Something was wrong.

There was a swirl of emotions radiating from Hux. He’d never felt so uncontrolled, so human. Kylo wouldn’t have thought it possible if it hadn’t slammed into him like a wave, and he still had to pause just to make sure that it was really Hux and he hadn’t somehow wandered into the wrong quarters. 

Very quietly, he walked into their bedroom and saw Hux sitting on his bed, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. He’d never seen him with less-than-perfect posture and it struck him just how small Hux was. As vulnerable as he seemed, Kylo thought it might be best to leave and give Hux some privacy, but he couldn’t make himself leave. He had to know what had caused such a change in Hux.

“Hux?” he said as he took a few steps towards him.

His head shot up and Kylo could see that his eyes were red. He’d been crying. That too came as a shock. Had someone told him that Hux’s tear ducts had been surgically removed, he would have believed them.

“You’re back early,” Hux said, standing up. Despite him assuming his normal posture, Kylo could still feel his distress in the Force.

“Mission didn’t go well.” Kylo had no interest in talking about the mission, but he suspected that Hux would not be willing to talk about just what had him so upset--least of all with him. But maybe there was some way he could loosen Hux up. He removed the outer layers of his robes and put them on his bed before returning to their small kitchen. 

He grabbed two glasses and then looked at the small liquor collection that Hux had. Since he didn’t really drink and didn’t particularly care about alcohol, he wasn’t entirely sure what would be best for the given situation, so he grabbed a bottle and poured two glasses, then returned to their bedroom, bringing the bottle with him. Hux was sitting on his bed again, but looked a little more like usual, doing something on his datapad.

Kylo walked over and handed him one of the glasses. Hux looked at the glass then up at him. “What is this?” he asked as he took the glass.

“You look like you need a drink.”

“This is in the wrong kind of glass.” Hux frowned down at the drink in his hand.

“Does it taste different in a different glass?”

“No.” He took a drink and Kylo did the same. He didn’t like it at all, but that didn’t matter. He wasn’t the one who needed it. And Hux seemed to like it, finishing it off quickly. Kylo immediately poured him another glass.

“What are you doing?” Hux asked. He took a slow sip, clearly not planning on drinking that glass as fast as he had the first.

“I don’t know. You were crying.”

“I was not. And if you plan on making ridiculous accusations, then I’d ask you to go to your side of the room and keep your mouth shut.”

Clearly, Hux would need more alcohol to be ready to open up. Or maybe what he needed was a friend. Kylo didn’t know how to do that, but he could at least try. He sat down next to Hux, trying to think of what he could say.

“There’s nothing wrong with crying,” he said eventually. “It’s supposed to be healthy. To let your emotions out.”

“I don’t have time for such things.”

“I know.” Kylo didn’t know what else to say. Even trying to be nice, Hux was pushing him away, and he could feel him closing off once again. He needed to do the opposite. So the only thing he could think of was to open up first.

“I think I cried for a week straight when I first joined the Order,” Kylo said.

“That’s not something to aspire to.”

“That’s not the point. It was a bad time for me. I’d been abandoned and betrayed by my family. Then I was here. Scared. Alone. All I could do was cry. Then when there were no tears left, I could focus. I don’t think I would have made it if I kept it all inside.”

“Is that what training is for you? Crying?”

“I’m just saying that it’s good for you. It can help.”

“You’re pathetic,” Hux muttered, looking back at his datapad.

“Try it,” he suggested. He finally took another sip of his drink, and he suspected he wouldn’t manage to finish it. But Hux needed another refill, which Kylo was glad to do. “Cry. Or tell me what’s gotten you upset.”

“I’m not -”

“You are. I can feel it.”

“Why do you even care?”

“I don’t,” Kylo answered automatically before remembering that he was trying to be nice. “We’re stuck living together. I don’t need to be feeling all your turmoil.”

“Turmoil?” Hux snorted. “I’d hardly describe this as turmoil.”

“Describe it however you want. But it might be helpful if you talk about it.”

Hux was silent for several moments and Kylo thought that would be the end of the conversation. Hux would hardly admit he had feelings, let alone talk about them. But he hadn’t kicked Kylo off his bed yet, so he stayed right where he was, taking another sip while he waited for Hux to do or say anything. Finally, he finished off his third glass of alcohol, but before Kylo could pour him another, Hux handed him his datapad.

Kylo looked at it, but didn’t quite understand why Hux gave it to him. He had been reading something about the siege of Arkanis, a former Imperial world. Why that would upset Hux, Kylo didn’t know. Especially when he looked at the date. It had happened over 25 years ago. Taking a closer look at the date, Kylo realized it was the anniversary of the fall of Arkanis to New Republic forces.

“What-”

“It’s the day I came to the First Order,” Hux said before Kylo could finish asking. “The last time I lived on a planet. The last day I saw my mother. It was the first day that I was with my father with no one to protect me.”

Kylo had no idea what to say to that. He’d never even thought about Hux having had parents. Obviously, he had to have them, but Kylo realized he had assumed he’d been taken from them at a young age and raised in a similar way to the stormtroopers. 

“I don’t remember her name,” Hux continued. “I don’t even remember what she looked like or what her voice sounded like. It’s stupid, I know. I shouldn’t care about someone I can’t even remember.”

“It’s not stupid,” Kylo said, voice low.

“It is. I’m the youngest colonel in the First Order and the Empire and here I am crying about some woman who probably never actually cared about me.”

“I do the same,” Kylo admitted. He didn’t want to talk about his family at all, but he could feel how much Hux was hurting and he wanted to help. Only to make it easier to be in the same room with him, of course. “I’m one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy but… I miss certain people. Sometimes.”

“At least you have proper memories of them.”

“Do you.” Kylo cut himself off, needing to think about what he was about to offer, whether it was even possible. It probably was. “Would you want to? Remember her, that is?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Hux said, shaking his head. “I was too young. Too much has happened since then.”

“I might be able to see if I can find your memories. Just enough maybe that you could picture her. See her face.”

“You want to dig around in my head?”

“No. I don’t want to. But if you wanted me to. I could.”

“I’ll pass.” That was the answer Kylo expected from him. Of course Hux didn’t want him tampering with any of his memories. And Kylo was relieved too, as he really didn’t like the way Hux’s mind worked. Going inside didn’t seem like it would be a pleasant experience.

“But thanks,” Hux said after several moments of silence. “Why are you acting like this? I’d almost say that you were being nice, but I know you must be up to something.”

“I can’t care about my husband?”

“No.”

Kylo shrugged. He didn’t want to tell Hux how he was so surprised that he actually experienced emotions and that it made him easier to be around. It would probably be taken the wrong way. 

“I can be nice when I want to,” he muttered. Not that Hux would believe it. No one would. He hadn’t had anyone to be nice to in a long time. 

“You have a few good qualities, but being nice is not one of them.”

“Like what?”

“You’re great at sucking cock.”

Kylo rolled his eyes. Of course that’s what Hux would say. He hadn’t really expected a serious answer. In fact, he hadn’t expected him to give an answer at all. Kylo could sense that Hux was feeling a little better and expected Hux to kick him off his bed, but instead, he put a hand on his leg, just above his knee.

“You are a surprisingly good listener, too,” Hux said. “At least sometimes.”

Kylo put a hand on top of Hux’s and they stayed like that, neither of them daring to move. Finally, Kylo met Hux’s gaze and noticed that Hux was starting to lean in closer to him. Kylo did the same and it wasn’t long before their lips were on each other.

It was far from their first kiss, but besides the kisses they shared on their wedding night, it was the first time they had kissed without also trying to bite each other or harm each other in some way. Knowing that Hux was still hurting, Kylo couldn’t help but to pull him into his arms as they kissed, and soon, they were laying together on Hux’s bed.

Neither of them spoke. Hux just let himself be held and Kylo remained there, giving him what he needed. He hadn’t planned on spending the night in Hux’s bed, but he didn’t want to disturb him, not when he felt so warm and content in the Force. He planned on waiting until Hux fell asleep and then he would go to his own bed, but it really had been a long mission. Closing his eyes surely wouldn’t hurt.

***

Waking up alone in bed was normal for Hux, yet somehow, it didn’t feel right. He knew he hadn’t fallen asleep alone, which was the truly strange thing. He’d never been one to cuddle, but he certainly hadn’t stopped Ren the night before. That was the strangest part of all. Ren had been the one to hold him.

He still didn’t understand what had caused the sudden change in Ren’s behavior. When he’d shown up unexpectedly, Hux expected to be mocked and laughed at. It certainly seemed like something Ren would do. But instead, he’d done the exact opposite and Hux couldn’t figure out why.

Their relationship - or lack thereof - really wasn’t any better than before. Since that day in the training room, they had started to experiment with each other. But even with sex, it was like any other interaction - angry and full of arguments. Neither of them had even attempted to be gentle with the other, and Hux was certain that neither of them wanted that.

That was what was so confusing about Ren’s behavior. There had to have been a reason for it, but Hux couldn’t imagine what he had to gain. Knowing that he cried over his likely-dead mother did nothing for him. He was not part of the First Order command structure, so it wasn’t like he would look for a reason to prevent any further advancement. And even if word did get out, Hux didn’t think it would affect him too much as long as he continued to perform his duties to the highest standard.

He knew he shouldn’t worry about Ren or his motivations, but he hated not knowing what the other man was up to, and he knew he should be able to figure it out. Hux tried not to think that Ren might have been honest with him - that maybe he was just trying to be nice. It just wasn’t possible. He knew Ren didn’t have the ability to be nice.

By the time he was ready for his shift, he still hadn’t figured out what Ren’s goal was, and he didn’t have any more time to worry about it. As he headed to the development lab, he checked his datapad, wondering when Ren was next scheduled to be off ship. For the time being, it looked like he was stuck with him. It was much easier to forget about him when he wasn’t around.

Being busy at work at least helped keep his mind off of his husband’s odd behavior. For several hours, he hardly even thought of Ren, as he had far more important things to worry about. There were designs for new weapons, test results from prototype fighters, and most importantly, all the data from the Starkiller Project that he needed to study.

Hux didn’t think about Ren at all until his shift in the development lab was over and he made his way to the bridge. Usually, his mind would drift to whatever he happened to be working on, but he found himself thinking about Ren instead. 

He remembered how softly Ren had kissed him and how he’d pulled him into his arms and gently held him. The worst part of all of it was that Hux wanted him to do that again. He suspected it had been a one-time event and he would never ask for that. Still, he couldn’t help but think about Ren’s hands on him, caressing him, or Ren giving him gentle kisses.

By the time he arrived on the bridge, Ren was the only thing on his mind. Hux hated that he was occupying his thoughts, he hated problems he couldn’t figure out. Despite being married to the man, Hux had never been able to understand Ren, mostly because he’d never cared to. 

Usually, he could focus on whatever task he had at hand instantly, but then he found Ren on the bridge. He paused, having no idea what to think of Ren’s presence. Hux couldn’t recall him being on the bridge before and couldn’t think of any reason he would need to be there. Having more important things to worry about, Hux ignored him and went about his tasks, but Ren wasn’t about to let him have a normal shift. He followed him around and stood far too close.

“Is there something you need, Ren?” he asked when he couldn’t handle him behind him any longer. 

“I want to talk to you.”

“You could have mentioned that instead of following me around the bridge. But go ahead. Talk.”

“Not here.”

Ren grabbed his wrist and started to walk away with him. Hux wanted to pull away, but he was in full view of the crew and it wouldn’t do for anyone to think they were not happily married, which meant he had no choice but to go with Ren. At least they didn’t go far, ending up in a conference room nearby.

“What’s so important?” Hux asked as soon as the door closed behind Ren.

“Are you feeling better?”

“You dragged me away from my duties to ask me that? Get out of the way.”

“Why.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Not that it matters, because I don’t have time for this. I need to get back to work.”

Ren stayed where he was and Hux was starting to wonder if it would be possible to make him move. He’d seen what was under those robes - and felt it - and knew he wouldn’t be capable of pushing that solid mass of muscle out of the way. He’d have to settle for trying to squeeze by him.

“How can you do this?” Ren growled. “How can you be so real and then go back to this? Why would you?”

He shouted those last words and then stormed out of the room, saving Hux from having to get past him. It did leave him with a sense of confusion, as he had no idea what got him so upset. At least things seemed to be back to normal with him - that gentle side he had seen must have simply been a fluke, not to be repeated. It almost made him sad as he’d nearly liked Ren, but it was probably for the best. 

Shortly after returning to the bridge, there was a report of lightsaber damage a few decks down, and Hux dispatched a team to see to repairs. He wanted to call Ren and ask him to explain himself, but given his inability to hold a conversation earlier, Hux realized that would be pointless and likely end up in even more lightsaber damage.

Instead, Hux planned on telling him to control himself when he next saw him, which he assumed would be in their quarters. When he returned for his rest cycle, Ren was not there and he didn’t feel like wasting time trying to track him down. He didn’t see him for the next day either, and then, he received word that his shuttle had departed and would be gone for an undetermined amount of time.

Hux really couldn’t complain.


	4. Chapter 4

Kylo wanted to stay away from his husband as long as possible. It wasn’t unusual for him to depart suddenly and no one would have access to his schedule to know that he had taken off for no reason. Except for Hux. But Hux wouldn’t care if he disappeared.

For a little while, Kylo had been hopeful that things might improve between him and Hux. He’d finally opened up and let himself be human. But then he’d pushed it all away. Kylo couldn’t understand why he would do that. He’d already seen him in his vulnerable state and for that brief moment, they’d gotten along. But then Hux went right back to his old self.

He didn’t like Hux or particularly care about him, but since coming to the First Order, he’d been lonely. Kylo only truly realized that when he’d been sitting next to Hux. Even if he didn’t like him, it had been nice just to have someone to talk to, someone who he could be himself around. Unfortunately for Kylo, Hux was the only person he had like that. For everyone else, he had to wear a mask. Literally.

There really was no reason to be so upset over Hux. It had been a moment of weakness for him and nothing more. Obviously, Hux had no intentions of letting that happen again. It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. 

His position in the First Order allowed him to come and go as he pleased, with only Snoke having the ability to order him to do anything. Kylo was fully prepared to stay away from the fleet and Hux indefinitely. He didn’t need to be on board the ship for any reason. It might have made it more convenient if he needed First Order personnel for any reason, but he could always issue commands remotely.

After a week on his own, Kylo was starting to feel better, but then Snoke contacted him. Before even answering the call, Kylo dreaded what he would say. If he found out that he was avoiding Hux, would he order him to go back? Kylo would be unable to refuse the order and Snoke had never been willing to budge on the matter of Hux before. He’d pleaded with him not to make them marry but Snoke hadn’t cared. He certainly wouldn’t care now that Kylo couldn’t stand being in the same room as him.

But Snoke only recalled him to the _Supremacy_ for a round of training and Kylo had never been so relieved to have training with Snoke. It was never a pleasant experience, but anything was better than having to be around Hux.

Kylo had no idea how long his training with Snoke lasted - he always lost track of time during. It could have been days or weeks or even years. It made no difference to him. He only realized that his training was coming to an end when he was allowed to recover from the injuries he sustained.

Being allowed time to recover also told him that Snoke had a mission for him--something he would need his strength for. That meant he likely wouldn’t even have to return to the fleet first and he wouldn’t have to see Hux. He could hardly even remember why he was avoiding the man besides the fact he just didn’t like him. He could only vaguely remember his betrayal and that he’d hurt him.

None of that mattered. He’d become even stronger in the Force and he had bigger things to worry about than his husband. He knew he’d be given an important mission soon, one that he was sure he could carry out flawlessly. 

Snoke didn’t summon him to inform him of his mission, instead choosing to communicate his instructions via the Force. It wasn’t too unusual for him, although Kylo really hated having Snoke inside his head in such a way. He didn’t just deliver the mission briefing - instead he would fill every corner of Kylo’s mind, infecting him and finding things that Kylo didn’t even know were there. 

“The governor of Enkenso has decided that they are no longer going to supply the First Order,” Snoke told him. “Therefore, we will be taking the entire planet. You will lead First Order troops on the planet’s surface and make an example of the governor as well as anyone who stands in our way.”

“Yes, master,” Kylo said, speaking out loud despite speaking telepathically to Snoke.

“As you have been separated from your husband for some time, I have arranged for his ship to be present for orbital support and guidance.”

Kylo grimaced. Snoke knew they didn’t get along and likely knew just how bad things had been when Kylo left. He had done that on purpose. Why he wouldn’t just let them be separate, Kylo didn’t know. Perhaps it was another part of his training. Whatever his reasons, Kylo had no choice but to accept it.

Soon, Kylo found himself on the way to the planet of Enkenso, a place he’d never even heard of before. He studied the materials provided to him and learned everything he would need, from climate conditions and planetary defenses to the layout of the governor’s palace and daily schedule.

By the time he arrived, he already had a plan in mind and when he saw the First Order ships already in orbit around the planet, he quickly transmitted his orders, which were acknowledged by the stormtrooper captain in charge of the assault, and then he gave his orders to the TIE pilots, as he planned on using them to take out most of the defenses to allow their people on the ground easier access.

Once he had sent out his orders, he received an unwanted transmission. Of course Hux wouldn’t be able to sit back silently and observe.

“I don’t have time,” Kylo growled at him.

“There’s a better plan for assault,” Hux informed him. 

“I don’t care!” Kylo ended the transmission, not wanting to listen to Hux prattle on. He’d already made a plan and he knew it was a perfectly reasonable plan. He didn’t need Hux in order to execute a successful attack. He didn’t need Hux for anything.

Hux tried contacting him again before he landed but Kylo ignored him and left his shuttle. He could hear the TIEs overhead and the sound of their cannons, soon followed by explosions. Clearly, his plan was working and the pilots were eliminating the planetary defenses.

“Sir!” Kylo looked and saw a group of stormtroopers approaching. Most of them hung back, but one slowly approached him. “I have a message for you.”

The trooper held out a holoprojector and Hux’s upper body appeared. Hux started to talk, but Kylo still was in no mood to listen. Angry that Hux wouldn’t just leave him alone, he pulled out his lightsaber, wanting to completely destroy the projector, not caring what else he damaged along the way. The trooper backed away, but Kylo didn’t care about them and pulled the holoprojector from their hand so he could destroy it.

By the time the offensive device was nothing more than overheated scrap metal, he was alone, the stormtroopers having vanished. Kylo didn’t need them for his mission, so he didn’t particularly care that they had left. While the troopers were busy securing the capital city, he would be tracking down the governor and making an example of him.

Everything would have worked out perfectly fine, just as Kylo had planned, but before he could track down the governor, he saw several bombers coming in over the city. Cursing, he pulled out his comlink and demanded to know who had ordered the strike. Had they been a few minutes later, Kylo would have been in the middle of the target area.

He wasn’t surprised to learn that Hux had been the one to order that strike, which also ruined his plans. Kylo had planned on sneaking into the city center while the rest of the First Order forces kept everyone busy further away. But with the bombers having gone through, it seemed like the area was crawling with enemy troops.

There was no time to come up with another plan, so Kylo decided he would just have to fight his way through. At least he wasn’t facing a particularly dangerous enemy, although the sheer number he was up against did make things more difficult. By the time he’d found the governor and killed him, he was exhausted.

Under normal circumstances, he would have stayed on the planet to make sure everything was wrapped up, but he was too tired and sent for his shuttle to pick him up. He wanted nothing more than to return to the ship and sleep for several hours. Snoke probably wouldn’t contact him for some time, so it was definitely a possibility that he could rest.

Once he left his shuttle, sleep was the last thing on his mind because he saw the last person he wanted to see at that moment - his husband.

He stormed over to Hux, who seemed to be waiting for him. The only thing Kylo could think about was how Hux had ruined his plan, made things far more difficult for him, and could have gotten him killed. As soon as he was close to Hux, he shoved him, not caring who might see.

“What is wrong with you?” Hux hissed.

“Wrong with me!” Kylo shouted. “You ruined everything!”

“I’m not the one who refused to review all relevant information!” Hux snapped. “If I hadn’t taken over the operation, you probably would have been killed!”

“You didn’t take over anything! You just ordered me to be bombed!”

“That is not what I did! How would I even know where you were when you didn’t give a detailed battle plan?”

“By staying out of it!” He shoved Hux away and stormed off. Or at least, he wanted to. He only managed to take a few steps before he felt that he was caught on something and he had no choice but to turn around.

Hux had his cowl in his hand and Kylo tried to pull himself free, but Hux held onto him. “Don’t walk away from me!” Hux said. “We’re not done!”

“We are.” Kylo reached for his lightsaber and when Hux’s gaze drifted towards his belt, Kylo shoved him away, using the Force to make sure that Hux wasn’t within range to grab him again before finally getting away from him.

***

Kylo knew he would be in trouble over the incident in the hangar. After he’d calmed down - which only required the destruction of a storage room door - Kylo realized that Snoke would find out and would not be happy and he couldn’t help but imagine the worst.

Within a few days of yelling and pushing each other, Snoke requested to see both of them. Although Kylo knew it was coming, he hadn’t expected it to happen so fast. Either word of their fight had gotten around fast, or Snoke was keeping a much closer eye on them than Kylo realized. It didn’t really matter how he knew - he just had to prepare for whatever punishment Snoke had decided to give him.

Snoke seemed fond of getting inside of his head and hurting him that way, but he wasn’t above using more physical methods to show his displeasure. Given what they’d done, Kylo expected that he’d combine the methods. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but Kylo knew he would manage to endure it. Hux, on the other hand, would probably be unprepared and that made the entire idea a little more bearable.

Kylo arrived in the holochamber a few moments before Hux. When he came in, Kylo could feel some slight worry, but overall, he felt as confident as always. Snoke would take care of that. Imagining how Hux would suffer made everything worth it.

“It should be no surprise why I’ve asked to talk to you. I thought you understood the nature of your relationship, but it seems that I need to remind you.”

“I apologize for my behavior,” Hux said.

Kylo wanted to imagine that he was very worried about Snoke’s punishment, but despite him trying to talk his way out of it, he couldn’t sense anything like that in Force. Not that it was ever easy to sense anything from him.

“Already we have rumors going around that the two of you hate each other, that your marriage is a sham, and that your entire relationship is a scheme.”

Those were more than just rumors, Kylo thought. All of that was true, but he knew better than to point that out to Snoke, especially since he was already in trouble. There was no reason to make things worse on himself. Too bad Hux didn’t feel the need to mention that those rumors were true, as Kylo would have liked to see him in even more trouble.

“I have put a lot of effort into this marriage, and your priority is to put a stop to these rumors and show everyone in the First Order that your little argument was simply a one-time thing. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Hux said immediately.

“What are we supposed to do?” Kylo asked. He had no idea what Snoke had in mind, and he wasn’t about to agree to anything until he knew. Unlike Hux who would do whatever Snoke wanted, Kylo would refuse to do anything he really didn’t want to do.

“I have made arrangements for the two of you to attend some diplomatic functions. Nothing serious. Simply something where representatives from the First Order are to make an appearance. You will leave in three days and be gone for two weeks.”

“Weeks?” Hux sounded surprised and Kylo was surprised he seemed willing to argue with Snoke. “Supreme Leader, we are nearing a critical point in our Starkiller project research. I can’t be gone for two weeks on something so irrelevant.”

“You clearly don’t understand the importance of this marriage,” Snoke said. “All arrangements have been made. Your project will carry on just fine without you.”

Hux didn’t say anything. So much for him being willing to argue. Or maybe he just realized that his pet project was idiotic anyway. Kylo didn’t understand why he was so obsessed with the idea of destroying entire planets, or why Snoke let him waste so much time with it, but it really wasn’t his concern.

“If you can’t make people believe this marriage,” Snoke continued when there were no further arguments, “then I will find a few more functions for you to attend. But there are some other punishments I have in mind should you completely fail.”

With that, Snoke’s hologram disappeared and Kylo turned to Hux. He couldn’t believe he was going to be stuck with him for at least two weeks. He’d imagined many different punishments, but this was far worse than anything he could have imagined.

“This is all your fault,” Kylo growled at him.

“I believe you’re the one who started pushing me,” Hux said. “But it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. We’ll have to work together to satisfy Snoke. Perhaps we should start now and start getting the crew of the ship to see that those rumors are false.”

“Why would I do that?” As far as Kylo was concerned, the less time he had to spend with Hux, the better. And if he was going to be stuck with him for weeks, he at least wanted to enjoy his last few Hux-free days.

“The faster these rumors are put down, the sooner we can get back to our lives. Maybe if we’re able to convince everyone very quickly, Snoke may let us return to the ship a little sooner.”

“He won’t.” Kylo knew Snoke well enough to know that there was little chance of him canceling any of their plans. He wanted them to be seen together for that long for a reason. 

“It doesn’t hurt to try. Even if we still attend every function as planned, it may help guarantee that we do get to come home as soon as we’re finished.”

“What did you have in mind?” Kylo didn’t know why he asked that. Whatever Hux suggested, Kylo wouldn’t want to do it. 

“A small amount of affection wouldn’t hurt.”

“You want to… do what. Hold hands? Kiss?”

“I don’t want to, but it might help us if we can do some small things like that when others are watching.”

“No.” He didn’t need to hear anymore and started to leave, but Hux followed him. He didn’t know when to quit. 

“I don’t like it either, but we haven’t been given much of a choice,” Hux said. “The sooner we change perception, the sooner we can go back to normal.”

“Snoke didn’t tell us to do that.” There really shouldn’t have been any discussion after that. After all, Hux liked nothing more than following orders. But instead of just letting him go, Hux grabbed his arm and pushed him against a wall, holding an arm against his throat.

Kylo was taken by surprise. He never expected Hux to do something like that, which was the only reason it had even happened. If he’d expected it, Hux never would have managed to get him against the wall. And it was only out of curiosity that Kylo didn’t push him off.

“We’re going to convince every single person on this ship that we like each other,” Hux growled at him.

Kylo smirked. It was almost funny how determined Hux was to show affection. He wanted to call him desperate but he could sense that they weren't alone. If Hux really wanted to kiss in public, he was about to get his chance. As much as Kylo didn't want to kiss him, he knew better than to be seen fighting with his husband again.

He bent his head forward and pressed his lips against Hux's. He started to pull away, but the patrolling troopers that Kylo had sensed came around the corner. When they did, Hux pressed himself fully against Kylo and the arm against his throat moved, so it was only his hand around his neck. He gripped him, probably harder than necessary, but Kylo didn't mind.

Kylo wrapped his arms around Hux and they continued to kiss until the patrol had passed. But Kylo didn't let go and Hux didn't stop kissing him. It wasn't until Hux started to grind against him that Kylo realized they were taking things too far and he pushed Hux away.

For a brief moment, they stared at each other and then Kylo walked off, saying nothing.

***

Hux couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss in the hallway. He couldn’t remember ever being so turned on by a kiss and he hated the fact that it had been Ren he had kissed. Even as their relationship had grown more sexual, they’d never really kissed. Usually, it was more biting each other’s lips than anything else. Besides their wedding night, the only other time Hux could remember kissing Ren was the night of the anniversary of the siege of Arkanis.

And then in the hallway. Unlike the gentle kisses the night he’d been so close to tears, the kiss in the hallway had been needy and desperate. It had felt like Ren had wanted him and for a brief moment, Hux had been able to forget just how much he hated him and instead, he’d felt desired. It was not something he was used to.

He knew Ren had only kissed him because of the patrol, but Hux also knew how long it took the troopers to move through the hallway and Kylo hadn’t let go as soon as they were gone. It almost made Hux think he wanted it. 

In the days leading up to their departure from the ship, Hux spent more time around Ren than usual. Mostly, he just wanted to keep up appearances, but he also wondered if Ren's attitude towards him had changed at all. Given his response to the suggestion that they engage in public displays of affection, Hux would have assumed everything was the same with him, but that kiss. Something had felt different about it.

Hux made sure to touch Ren when others were watching and he stood much closer than was necessary, but Ren seemed to ignore him. He never initiated contact himself, but he never pulled away. Hux assumed that was only because he wasn’t going to go against Snoke’s orders and leave room for doubt in anyone’s mind. 

By the time they boarded their shuttle to leave, Hux had decided there was nothing different between Ren and himself. The kiss had only been for the sake of the patrol passing by and the only reason it lasted as long as it did was because Ren was a terrible judge of time.

They didn’t speak as they departed, which left Hux free to do what work he could from his datapad. He hated not being present, but he could at least keep in contact with his team. He just hoped no disasters occurred while he was away on what really was a pointless excursion. He and Ren could have convinced everyone of their happy marriage from the ship, but Snoke didn’t think to order them to do that.

For the most part, he was able to ignore Ren’s presence, although he could feel Ren’s eyes on him. Eventually, he came to stand over Hux’s shoulder and he finally couldn’t handle him lurking and reading everything on his datapad.

“Can I help you?” Hux asked, turning the screen off. There was nothing there Ren wasn’t allowed to see, but he still didn’t like him seeing it.

“Just showing interest in my husband’s work,” Ren said. 

“You never have before and there’s no reason for you to start now. We don’t have to pretend to be a happy couple until we’re on planet.”

Ren didn’t say anything and Hux hoped that would have been enough to get him to the other side of the shuttle, but instead, he sat down next to him, close enough that their knees were touching. Hux frowned at him, but didn’t see any point in arguing with him. If he was sitting quietly, that was the best he could hope for.

He went back to looking over reports and sending instructions to his people, but the silence was too good to last. He could hear Ren talking, but he tuned him out, not seeing any reason to pay attention to him. It might have worked out well if Ren wasn’t so stubborn. Soon, he was poking him in the shoulder.

“What do you want?” he asked with a sigh.

“What are you going to wear to the first event?”

“I don’t know!” Hux snapped. “If you don’t have anything important to ask, please shut up and let me get some work done. It’s your fault I have to be away from my work for so long to begin with.”

Ren muttered something under his breath, but Hux ignored him. Nothing that he had to say was more important than his work. And at least Ren remained silent for the rest of the journey, although he did remain by his side. 

Almost as soon as the shuttle landed, Ren was on his feet and headed towards the ramp. But it wouldn’t do to be seen leaving alone. After all, the entire point of the mission was to convince everyone that they were a loving couple and if anyone noticed them leaving separately, they might make some assumptions.

“Ren, wait,” Hux called, putting his datapad away and walking over to him. He held out his hand, but Ren only stared at it. “There could be someone watching.”

He still didn’t say anything, but he reached out and took Hux’s hand in his, squeezing it with his strong grip just enough to be painful. Hux didn’t let any signs of discomfort show on his face as they walked down the ramp, hand in hand. As he expected there was a group waiting for them.

“Let me handle the talking,” Hux said.

“Why?”

“That should be obvious.” They were technically on a diplomatic mission and although the planet fully supported the First Order, Hux didn’t want Ren messing that up acting like he normally did. But common sense wasn’t enough of a reason for Ren.

As they approached the greeting party, Ren let go of his hand, walked forward, and immediately started speaking to the group. Hux had no idea what he said, as he wasn’t speaking Basic, but at least no one looked offended. Ren then held his hand out and properly went through the local greeting ritual.

“And this is my husband,” Ren said eventually, going back to Basic. “Armitage Hux.”

“_Colonel_ Armitage Hux,” he corrected. 

“I always forget,” he said with a smile. “Your rank seems to change so fast. We’d better get settled in. Busy night tonight.”

They were led to a transport where they were finally alone and Hux checked his datapad. They were only a short ride away from the hotel where they would be staying and where they would be meeting with some of the planetary leaders. But that still left him enough time to question Ren.

“What -”

“How much time do we have after we get to the hotel?” Ren asked, interrupting him.

“Don’t -”

“I know you don’t usually like getting messy before meetings, but it was a long shuttle ride and I don’t want to wait until tonight to get my hands on you.” As he spoke, he pointed to his ear and then towards the driver, then put a finger to his lips.

Finally, Hux understood and he should have realized it as well. The vehicle was likely bugged and at the very least, the driver was listening to every word they were saying. That meant they had to continue the happy couple act.

“We won’t have time for much,” Hux said. “But I’m sure we can think of something. We’re pretty busy tonight and tomorrow, so we might just have to hold out until tomorrow night.”

“I’m not sure I can wait that long.”

“You poor, needy thing. No wonder they never send you on diplomatic missions. Would a kiss help you make it through?” Hux hoped he didn’t sound as sarcastic as he really felt.

“I won’t stop at a kiss,” Ren warned. That at least made Hux feel better. He didn’t want to actually kiss him, although he knew he would have to at some point during their mission. 

“Have you been here before, Armie?”

Hux twitched at that nickname, hating the way it sounded. But he couldn’t say anything about that. Not if he wanted to keep up the illusion. “I haven’t,” he said. “I very rarely get a chance to leave the ship.”

“Maybe we’ll have time to sightsee a little. There’s a famous garden with rare plants from across the galaxy here.”

“I don’t -” Hux stopped for a moment, remembering that they were playing a game, only having the conversation for the sake of whoever was listening in. It didn’t matter that they wouldn’t have time. “That sounds nice.”

“I know you’re not big on sweets, but there’s also a place that makes candies with the fruits that are grown there. We should stop there too. Or at least get some candy delivered. I’m sure I can find a way that’ll get you to enjoy them.”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure of that.” Hux didn’t like where Ren was going with that, nor did he like how good he was at faking their relationship. Fortunately, he just continued to make plans that they would not follow until they made it to the hotel, where they walked inside, hand in hand.

When they arrived at the hotel, Hux swept for bugs and disabled the two that he found. Once he was certain that no one was listening in on them, he turned to Ren, who was laying on the only bed in their room.

“What was that about?” Hux asked.

“What was what about?”

“When you spoke to the person who met us. You know the local language and the proper greeting. I’m surprised you took the time to research this place.”

“I’m sorry, am I interfering with your perception of me as a “dumb brute?” Those were the words you used, right?”

Hux had used those words - and worse - to describe Ren before, as it had always seemed accurate. He very rarely showed any signs of being intelligent, although now that Hux thought about it, he might have missed the signs. “You’re the one who acts like that,” Hux said. “Maybe if you actually used your brain every now and then, people would realize you have some other qualities.”

Ren laughed, but didn’t say anything. That was an unexpected sound. Hux had heard him laugh before, but only when mocking him. It was different now. Almost pleasant. He didn’t know why that had made him laugh, but he couldn’t help but smile and wonder if he could make it happen again. He quickly pushed that thought aside.

“We need to be downstairs in thirty minutes,” he said before heading the refresher to prepare for the meeting.

Ren, of course, was slow to get going and they were very nearly late. Hux managed to get him into the elevator with just enough time to spare to arrive right on time. They entered the ballroom where the evening’s event was being held. It was a more casual event - mingling, dinner, and dancing, which although unpleasant, should have been simple enough, but he never knew what surprises Ren had for him.

As they walked in, Ren wrapped an arm around his waist and Hux leaned into him, doing the opposite of what he really wanted. He hated their stupid arranged marriage and how they had to keep up the act and as they walked around the room, pressed up against each other, he couldn’t help but consider what the worst thing Snoke might do to him if he just walked away and told everyone the truth about their relationship.

Death might not be such a big price to pay. But if he messed things up, it would only be him who was punished, not Snoke’s precious apprentice. He could already imagine how Ren would act so hurt and betrayed after Snoke had him executed. That wouldn’t do. It would only work if Ren ruined things - Hux felt certain he would suffer but if Ren went down with him, it just might be worth it.

As much as he liked to imagine slapping Ren right across his smug face in front of everyone, he knew he would never do it. Instead, he played the part of the loving husband, although he didn’t think he did it nearly as well as Ren. His smile seemed so genuine that Hux himself almost believed that they were happy together. Hux would never be that good of an actor, but he knew he played his part well.

They made their way around the room, making small talk with what felt like everyone. Hux hated small talk, but he was worried about what Ren might say, so he tried to dominate the conversations and not let Ren say much. Unfortunately, word had gotten around that Ren knew the local language and so everyone insisted on talking to him. Hux just had to hope he wasn’t saying anything too terrible.

By the time they got to dinner, Hux was already exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go back to their room and sleep. Even that wouldn’t be easy, as he knew he would have to fight Ren for the bed. He found himself pushing his food around his plate more than eating it, as he usually did when tired or upset or anxious. 

“Sweetheart,” Ren murmured, “you need to eat something.”

Hux frowned at the endearment. Ren had never referred to him like that before and he wanted to tell him to never do it again. Before he could say anything, Ren was lifting a forkful of food to his mouth and Hux had no choice but to take it. He could see Ren’s smirk, and once he pulled the fork away, he grabbed his own fork and finally started eating, if only to prevent that embarrassment from continuing.

When they finally returned to their room, Hux was leaning on Ren and it was more than just for show. He really was that tired and he didn’t even care that he was using Ren to keep himself upright. And Ren was being so well behaved and allowing him to do so, even when they had made it to the elevator and were no longer in view of anyone else. He even supported him all the way into their room. 

Once the door was closed, Ren shoved him away. It was so unexpected, that Hux stumbled forward and nearly fell to the ground, but he managed to catch himself. He watched Ren in silence for a few moments as he started getting ready for bed.

“Why do things have to be like this?” Hux asked.

“Like what?” Ren had already stripped down to his underwear and went into the refresher. He didn’t even look at Hux.

Hux followed Ren, stopping in the doorway as he started to remove his uniform top. “Is all this animosity really necessary? You can clearly set it aside when we’re in public. So why can’t it be like that all the time?”

Ren didn’t answer. He finished brushing his teeth then pushed Hux with his shoulder as he went by. He really shouldn’t have expected anything different from him, but it would have been nice to at least know why things had to be so hostile between them. Hux finished getting ready for the night but Ren was already sprawled out on the bed. Even though there was plenty of room, Hux wasn’t even going to bother to ask if they could share it, especially since Ren had discarded his underwear. Instead, he pulled a pillow from the bed and threw it on the floor. 

“Is that what you want?” Ren asked as Hux settled down on the floor.

“What are you talking about?” Had Ren read his mind and knew how much he’d rather be on the bed, even if it meant sharing? It was embarrassing, but if it meant he could sleep on the bed, then Hux decided it might not be the worst thing.

“Our relationship. You want it to be different. Us being nice to each other. Touching. Kissing. That sort of thing.”

“It’s not that I want that, but it would be much easier on us if we weren’t constantly at each other’s throats in private. We have no choice but to live with each other. Why not try to make things work between us?”

“Because I hate you.”

Hux had no idea what to say to that. It was not the answer he expected at all. He knew they didn’t like each other, but he didn’t think Ren actually hated him. As much as he disliked the man, Hux always thought that there was some possibility of them finding common ground and finding a way to work together. Clearly, he was wrong.

“Good night, Ren.” At least one of them would be getting a decent night’s sleep. And Hux would just have to lay awake all night, trying not to wonder about just what he’d done to make his husband hate him so much.

***

Hux managed to get a few hours of sleep, but his back was sore. It wasn’t going to be a pleasant day, but hopefully they would at least be busy enough that he wouldn’t notice how tired and sore he was. He took some stims as he dressed and tucked some extras away in his pocket, as he would need those later.

Although the morning went as planned, there was a change for the afternoon schedule. Lunch and the afternoon talks were moved to a nearby garden, and Hux suspected it was the one Ren had mentioned on their way to the hotel. Hux really didn’t want to go anywhere, as it took him further from his room, but he didn’t have much choice. Not without offending their hosts.

They rode together with a group of other people, which of course meant they had to keep up the act. Ren put an arm around him and Hux leaned against him. It soon became a struggle to stay awake. He blamed the fact that he hadn’t slept well, as it certainly wasn’t because Ren was warm and comfortable. And it would clearly be a bad idea. It’d be safer to curl up against a nexu, because at least then, it would just kill him. Ren would probably do much worse.

Still, he was tired enough that he couldn’t help but doze off just a little, and when the vehicle came to a stop, he woke with a start. Ren still had his arm around him and smiled at him warmly.

“Have a nice nap, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Sorry,” Hux said. “I didn’t meant to fall asleep.”

“It’s all right,” Ren said. “I know you didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“_And whose fault was that?_” Hux wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut. In the worst case scenario, the others in the vehicle would know exactly what he meant and realize it was all an act. More likely, they would take the wrong meaning and assume that him and Ren had been fucking, which he also didn’t want. 

At least they’d arrived at the garden and were able to get out of the vehicle, but he didn’t get to stray far from Ren, as they were holding hands. There was a table with food set up when they entered the garden, and Ren had to let go of him in order to eat, and Hux was thankful for that.

Wanting at least a little time away from Ren, Hux grabbed some food and sat down under a tree. He had a few peaceful, Ren free moments, but apparently, he just couldn’t leave him alone. Ren stood in front of him, but Hux did his best to pretend he wasn’t there.

“Why here?” Ren asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Why this tree?”

“I don’t know, Ren,” he said with a sigh. “It was the closest shade and I didn’t want to be in the sun. Did this tree do something to personally offend you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a tree.” Despite seeming to have something against the plant, Ren sat down on the bench next to him. “It’s from Alderaan.”

“So is it the last of its kind? And you hate it for that?”

“It’s hardly the last. They self-pollinate and clone from cuttings. It wasn’t widely planted in the galaxy before. Here. A few other collections. Then Alderaan was gone. Suddenly everyone wanted one. This one was placed under guard. It wasn’t old enough to produce seeds. They didn’t want anyone trying to take cuttings. Too many would kill the tree.”

“So what’s your reason for not liking it? Or do you not need a reason to hate things?” Hux knew he hadn’t given Ren reason to hate him, but he did anyway. Maybe he just hated the fact the tree existed.

“My m… General Organa. She has a cutting from this plant. Had. I don’t know. It was a big deal. One of the first cuttings made from it.”

Hux was about to ask how he knew that and why, but it wasn’t hard to figure out. He knew Ren was born in the Republic to well-known figures. He knew that General Organa had had a son, although he was listed as killed when Ren destroyed the Jedi Temple. But Ren was the right age and now that he thought about it, Hux could see that he even looked a bit like her.  
“That’s why you know this place,” Hux said. “You’ve been here before.”

“Yes.”

They didn’t speak again until they had finished eating and the meeting resumed. Hux had to admit it was a rather nice setting, although he would have preferred to be indoors. Who knew what strange substances he was picking up on his uniform? Still, things went smoothly and agreements were made. And at the end, Ren was presented with a large box of candies, which he accepted gratefully.

They were taken back to the hotel where they had an hour before dinner. Hux wanted to do nothing more than sleep. As soon as he walked into their room, he headed for the bed and fell on it. He didn’t even care that Ren had slept naked in that same bed the night before. He just needed a little bit of sleep, but Ren couldn’t even let him have that.

He felt Ren sitting down on the bed, but he refused to open his eyes or acknowledge him in anyway. But he became harder to ignore when he felt something pressing against his lips. He turned his head away, but Ren kept bothering him and he could taste something sweet on his lips.

“What are -” Before he could finish that question, Ren pushed something into his mouth, something with the same sweet taste that was on his lips. It was soft, too, and Hux realized it was the candy.

“Eat it,” Ren said.

Hux didn’t know why Ren was feeding him candy. It was a little too intimate for someone that hated him. But it was already in his mouth and it was rather delicious, so Hux ate it.

“What was that about?” Hux asked when Ren got off the bed and walked away without another word.

“Got to make sure it’s not poisoned.”

“Let’s hope it is. Then I might actually get some sleep.” And then he would finally be free from Ren also, although he wouldn’t be able to make Ren suffer with him. Maybe Ren would be stupid enough to eat the candy even after he knew it was poisoned.

Hux could only hope so, but he didn’t have time to worry about it as he soon fell asleep. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when his alarm went off. He sat up, feeling a bit more rested than he had earlier, but he quickly noticed something was wrong. Ren wasn’t anywhere in sight. It wasn’t a large room and there wasn’t anywhere for him to hide. Hopefully he hadn’t caused any trouble.

Hux couldn’t let himself worry about that and started to get ready for dinner, wondering if Ren had forgotten about it. His absence might reflect poorly on the First Order but Hux was certain he could make an excuse for him. Just as he finished getting ready, Hux noticed the time on his datapad. 

He was a half hour late for dinner.

Cursing, he dashed out of the hotel room and ran to the elevator. It seemed to take forever and he was debating whether it might be faster to take the stairs when it finally arrived. It felt like the ride was much longer than usual, although he knew that wasn’t the case. Not unless Ren had somehow made it slower, although Hux knew he wasn’t that smart.

He tried to ignore the fact that every eye in the room was on him as he made his way to his seat next to Ren. As he sat down, Ren leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and Hux took the opportunity to whisper in his ear.

“Don’t ever fuck with my alarm again.” He knew that he’d set it for the right time. The only explanation was that Ren had changed it to make him late.

“You needed the rest, sweetheart,” Ren said sweetly. “Do you feel better now?”

“I’m fine,” he said. Unfortunately, Ren wouldn’t just let things be and act normal. Instead, he insisted on helping him cut his meat and doing just about everything for him. It was infuriating. And Hux just had to sit there and let him.

After dinner, they conversed with the others and finally said their farewells. They would be leaving early the next morning and wouldn’t be there for any of the informal events that were planned for the following day. Not that Hux cared. Spending a day traveling was a much better prospect because at least then, he and Ren didn’t have to talk to each other. Too bad they were going right to another diplomatic meeting where they would have to pretend to be in love again.

Hux had no idea how he was going to survive the rest of the trip, especially since Ren once again made him sleep on the floor. Maybe their next stop would be at a place that had two beds, although Hux was fairly certain that wouldn’t be the case.

***

Kylo knew their mission had been a success. The diplomatic side of things was easy enough. Snoke had only sent them places where there was little negotiation and the First Order simply wanted to have a representative on hand. Anything difficult would have required an actual diplomat.

But the other part of the mission - the one that had been a challenge - also went smoothly, and Kylo was convinced that Snoke would have no issues with their performance. Kylo had already seen the holos going around of him and Hux together and saw the way the media referred to them. They had definitely been successful.

Now they were on the final stop of their tour, which was supposed to be the easiest of all. There were no talks to attend or boring people to listen to. They were attending a ball for some princess’ birthday. All they had to do was make an appearance, keep up the act through the night, and then go back to life as usual.

Hopefully once there was some distance between them, Kylo would stop thinking about him. Ever since Hux had pushed him away, Kylo hadn’t felt much in the way of desire for Hux, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the question he asked on the first night of their mission.

He hadn’t known what to say in that moment, when he could feel that Hux meant what he said. But by the time Kylo was ready to talk about it, Hux had shut down and gone back to his usual self. And that reminded Kylo of why he hated him.

Every now and then, Kylo could feel something from Hux in the Force, something that made him think that maybe Hux’s idea could work. Maybe they could get along. But those moments never lasted and Kylo knew he just had to accept that he was married to the worst possible man in the galaxy.

He watched as Hux got ready for the ball, following the exact same routine he always did. Like in all aspects of Hux’s life, it was boring. But Kylo still missed that brief period of time when they almost got along, if not personally, then at least sexually. But Hux had destroyed that too. And Kylo really didn’t want to bother trying again. That didn’t mean that he didn’t enjoy watching Hux walk around half-naked.

“Aren’t you going to get ready?” Hux asked as he started to dress.

“Doesn’t take me long.”

Kylo didn’t bother with doing his hair or trying to make himself look pretty. All he did was shower and put on a clean set of robes. Even though they had plenty of time, Hux continued to bother him about needing to hurry up. They left right on time, but Hux still acted like they were late. That meant he was probably going to be in a bad mood the entire night.

They had no choice but to spend time together, which would make him miserable, but at least Kylo could make Hux just as miserable. Once again, he thought about how Hux asked if they could get along and wondered what that would look like. Would they simply hold hands and dance together? Would Hux tell him what he was allowed to do? Would he allow Kylo to make demands as well or would Hux expect to be in charge?

Not that any of it mattered. There was no hope of them getting along. Hux had already proven that.

The ball was filled with people, which at first, Kylo hated. But as the night went on, he saw that it had advantages as well. It was very easy to get lost in the crowd and if he wasn’t doing anything to draw attention to himself, he could disappear. When he grew bored of harassing Hux, he slipped outside on a balcony, enjoying a bit of quiet.

He could still hear the party going on, but it was muffled, and there was a much better view outside. The city was lit up below him and in the distance, he could see the moonlight reflecting off the ocean. Above him, he could see the stars and moons. 

His peace wasn’t to last. Kylo turned when he heard the door opening, ready to use the Force to make whoever was coming out go away, but he saw it was Hux. He frowned and turned back around. He still could use the Force on him, but Hux would know and then he’d have to deal with an angry Hux.

“What do you want?” Kylo muttered.

“I was looking for you,” he said as he moved to stand next to him. “You just vanished.”

“I wanted to be alone.”

“Yes, it is a rather crowded event.”

“I want to be away from you too.”

Hux didn’t say anything and Kylo hoped he would leave, but of course, he had no such luck. At least he was silent, although he could still feel his presence in the Force, so he couldn’t just pretend he wasn’t there.

“I’d rather have someone else to talk to, too,” Hux said after a while.

“You have plenty of options.”

“I don’t want to talk to any of them. They’re stupid. As much as I don’t want to admit it, you’re a far more interesting conversation partner than any of them. And at least I know you.”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“You like to destroy equipment, you prefer unstable weapons, and you spend far too much time with a bunch of other masked people.”

“Like I said. Nothing.”

“I know who your parents are.”

That got his attention and he looked over at him, but Hux didn’t seem angry about it. Outside of High Command, no one was supposed to know that. Maybe he’d come to the wrong conclusion, because he couldn’t imagine that Hux would be so calm knowing exactly who he was married to. 

“How could you know that?”

“You used to be Ben Solo.”

Kylo flinched at the name. Somehow, Hux had figured it out. Had he broken into a computer system to get that information? Why? What was he going to do with it? He had plenty of questions, but he didn’t bother asking any of them. If Hux decided to announce to the entire Order who he used to be, there was little he could do to stop him.

“Don’t worry, Ren,” Hux said. “I have no intention of telling anyone that information. I’m sure it would be far worse for me than you if that got out. But I didn’t come out here to talk about that.”

“Why are you here?”

“I told you. You’re the one who’s here. And we _are_ married, you know? We might as well talk to each other.”

“What do we have to talk about?”

“Anything. What normal people talk about. We’ve been together for two weeks. Surely, there’s someone you wanted to make a nasty comment about. Pretend I’m one of your Knights. Wouldn’t you make fun of someone’s dress or how drunk someone is?”

“Not like this.”

“Then how?”

Kylo hesitated, not really wanting to show Hux anything at all, but he did ask. And he was almost being pleasant. He reached out to him with the Force and he could feel that he was different. It took a moment, but Kylo realized he was in a good mood. He could probably ruin that.

“_Like this_,” he said, using the Force to communicate inside his mind. “_We use the Force so no one can overhear._”

“That’s actually a smart idea. Too bad it only works for a small group.”

“You might be able to try it,” Kylo said before he could stop himself. He should have just agreed and let the subject go. But now he had Hux’s attention. He turned towards the party and picked out someone in the crowd and nodded to him.

“Think about him. Whatever you would want to say about him, just think it. And I’ll pick it up.”

“Okay,” Hux said. He looked at the man, frowning and Kylo reached out with the Force, lightly brushing against Hux. All he got was a jumble of thoughts.

“Think more clearly,” Kylo said. “Just one thing. You’re trying to think of too many things at once. Just think of the thing you hate the most about him. Then think of the next thing. Like you’re having a conversation. Just only in your head.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, and finally, Kylo was able to pick up on Hux’s thoughts very clearly and he couldn’t help but smile and then he had to hold back a laugh. When he did, Hux turned to him.

“What? Am I that bad at this?”

“Not at all. I just never thought that you would be judging the color of his dress against his complexion.”

“Well it’s a hideous combination.”

Kylo started to laugh, but he caught himself. Hux was not his friend and he shouldn’t do anything to encourage that idea. He did have to wonder once more about what Hux had said about them getting along. He seemed normal enough at the moment that Kylo thought that it might be possible. 

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” Kylo muttered, looking away from him. But he couldn’t help but steal another glance. Hux was almost pretty in the moonlight. “We should go back in.”

“Yes,” Hux said. He started to move, but then paused and turned back to Kylo. “Can we do that Force trick again to talk to each other?”

“I guess,” Kylo said with a shrug. Then, without thinking, he offered his hand to Hux. “It’ll be easier if we’re touching.” He didn’t really know if that was true or not, but it sounded good and it was the only excuse he could come up with.

They spent most of the rest of the night holding hands and talking through the Force. There were a few times that Hux started to think in too many directions, but Kylo would squeeze his hand and he’d focus. As the night went on, there were multiple times that they both started laughing, although neither of them had spoken out loud, which drew some looks, but for the most part, they were ignored.

Kylo couldn’t believe that he actually enjoyed his husband’s company, but given how much time they were forced to spend together, it was bound to happen eventually. He knew it couldn’t last but after such a nice experience, Kylo wasn’t ready to end it by making Hux sleep on the floor like he had every other night they’d stayed in a hotel. He didn’t want to sleep on the floor either, which left only one obvious option.

“Hux,” he said, sitting on one edge of the bed. Hux had already grabbed a pillow and was looking around at the floor. “Do you want. Um. This bed is big enough. If you want.”

“I’m not sure if you’re trying to ask what I think you’re asking,” Hux said.

Kylo felt awkward making the offer and he really couldn’t figure out how to actually say it. So instead, he laid down on one side of the bed rather than sprawling across it and taking up all the room. He made sure there was plenty of room for Hux and said, “You can do whatever you want.”

He closed his eyes and for a while, he thought Hux was just going to ignore the offer and sleep on the floor anyway, but then, he felt a slight weight on the bed and he could feel Hux moving behind him.

Neither of them spoke, but Kylo picked up one last thought from Hux as he drifted off and he smiled as Hux wished him a good night in his head.


	5. Chapter 5

After their successful diplomatic mission, life went back to normal. Or at least, mostly normal. Shortly after they returned to the fleet, the Starkiller Project made some major breakthroughs and they had started work on the actual weapon. In recognition of his work, Hux was promoted to general and given command of a new ship, the _Finalizer_, which gave him more duties to attend to. That also meant less time around Ren.

Hux had wondered after that last night on the mission if anything would be different between them, but they quickly fell back into their old patterns of ignoring each other. Or maybe they were both just too busy. Hux knew he wasn’t actively avoiding Ren, but he had no idea what his husband was up to. It was better than being at each other’s throats, but Hux still wished they could have gotten along. He’d had a taste of what that might be like for one night and he didn’t understand why Ren couldn’t be like that all the time.

He would never like Ren, that was for certain, but he knew they could get along and help each other with common goals. There was never any reason for them to fight and no reason for Ren to hate him, but then, Ren was hardly reasonable.

At least his usual projects kept his mind off why Ren was so difficult. Unfortunately, one in particular only made him think of Ren, as it was to be an anniversary gift. Snoke had ordered it, of course, as Hux would never think to get Ren a gift, much less one as expensive as a new fighter. And he knew he wouldn’t get anything in return, although he really didn’t care much about that. The new fighter had to be designed eventually. If Snoke wanted to wrap it up as an _“anniversary present”_ then it didn’t make a difference to Hux.

Unfortunately, what Snoke wanted from the fighter seemed to be impossible. He had a hologram of what it might look like in front of him, along with its dimensions and other stats, but it just wouldn’t work. He couldn’t get that kind of weaponry on board a fighter with that amount of speed along with cloaking, hyperdrive, and life support systems. It would take too much power. As tempting as it was to build it with faulty life support, he would not let his name be attached to a failed project.

Somehow, he would find a way to make the fighter work. Or at least get as close to it as possible. Perhaps there was some tweak in the engines he could make that would make them just a little more powerful without being such a huge drain on the energy.

Hux knew it was going to be a long project that involved many sleepless nights because he hadn’t even begun to tackle the inside of the ship, which would prove to be another challenge. With as much as he was cramming into the ship, it wasn’t going to leave a lot of room for the pilot, which meant less room for the controls. But that would be a problem to solve at a later time, after he found out how the ship would even be possible.

He got up to get a fresh cup of tea, and when he returned to his desk, he heard something moving in the bedroom. He’d done his best to be quiet so he wouldn’t wake Ren, but maybe he hadn’t been quiet enough. Ren seemed to either sleep deeply enough to sleep through a battle or light enough that he’d wake up if someone breathed too loudly in the next room.

When he heard footsteps approaching behind him, he decided that Ren must have been sleeping lightly. He tried to ignore his presence, focusing instead on the starfighter design for as long as he could. Ren would surely start yelling at him for disturbing him soon.

After a while, Ren remained silent and Hux turned around, wanting to make sure he was still there. He was. Ren was right behind him, wearing only a pair of pants. Hux quickly turned back to his work, not needing to be distracted by Ren’s abs when he needed to focus.

“Do you need something Ren?”

“You should go to bed.”

“I don’t see how it’s any concern of yours whether I sleep or not.” As soon as he said it, he realized that he might have been a little too harsh with Ren. He wasn’t being obnoxious. It almost seemed like he cared. While that certainly wasn’t the case, Hux didn’t need to snap at him. “I’ll go to bed when I’m finished here.”

“No. Go to bed now.”

“I don’t take orders from you. Is there any particular reason you want me to go to bed so badly?”

“I can’t sleep with you out here.”

“What? You need me to go tuck you in? Read you a bedtime story? I’ve never had to help you get to bed before.”

Ren lightly smacked him on the back of his head, not hard enough to hurt, but it got his attention and he turned around. “You think too loud,” Kylo said as if it were a reasonable explanation.

“Unfortunately, this idiotic fighter of yours requires quite a bit of thought on my part. Maybe next time you won’t have such ridiculous specifications and I won’t have to think about it.”

“I didn’t request this.” 

Hux was about to ask who did, because he couldn’t think of anyone else who would make such a crazy request, but before he could, he saw a chair floating towards them. His first thought was that Ren was simply going to hit him over the head with it, although it was too slow to do more than lightly bump him. It never hit him. Instead, it settled on the floor next to him and Kylo sat down.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t sleep with you out here. So I guess I’m going to help you.”

Hux snorted. “I think you’d be more helpful on the other end of the ship, Ren. You might have some skills, but designing a starfighter is not one of them.”

“Just try explaining the problem to me,” he suggested. “It might help.”

“I suppose at this point, I might as well try anything,” Hux said with a sigh. He walked through all the issues of how there wasn’t enough space and power for all the systems to operate without increasing the size of the craft, thus making it heavier and slowing it down. And increasing the size of the engines to make up for that would slow it down in atmosphere, which he needed to avoid.

“Just move that,” Ren said, after he finished explaining the problems. He pointed to part of the weapons system that rested just above the engines. “You could make the whole component smaller. Put it anywhere in the ship.”

“That’s a very creative idea, Ren, but that doesn’t really free up that much space. Not to mention making it smaller reduces the amount of times it can fire without recharging.”

“Not a problem. Let me show you.”

He pulled Hux’s datapad over to him and started moving components around on the ship. Hux started to argue and explain why none of his alterations would work, but Ren ignored him and kept going. Eventually, Hux saw what he was doing and realized it just might work.

“How did you think of all that?” Hux asked, looking at a design that was certainly not standard, but something that could actually work. 

“Long story. I can tell you in the morning if you really care to know, but can you please go to bed now?”

Hux couldn’t help but smile. He never realized that Ren had such a skill within him. He’d made far more progress on the ship’s designs than he would have had he stayed up all night staring at it, so it was only fair that he gave in to Ren’s demands and went to bed. As exciting as having a working design was, Hux found he was more interested in knowing more about Ren’s experience in designing ships.

He never had a chance to find out. When he woke in the morning, Ren was gone. That wasn’t too unusual as he did keep an odd schedule. Hux knew that he would likely see him soon. He did like to lurk around the bridge of their ship, which unfortunately, Hux couldn’t do anything about seeing as how they were “co-commanders.”

When he arrived on the bridge, he didn’t see Ren anywhere, which he was almost disappointed about. He really did want to talk to him. But at least he wasn’t terrorizing the crew. Someone in the crew likely knew exactly where Ren was, but Hux couldn’t ask - it wouldn’t do to seem like he didn’t pay attention to his husband. Instead, he checked his datapad on the off chance Ren left a message.

He didn’t, of course. Hux didn’t think Ren had ever used his datapad for anything besides throwing it at the wall. He’d certainly never seen him use it. He spent more time writing things by hand than he did using a datapad. It was a strange habit, but one that Hux really couldn’t complain too much about. 

Although there was no message from Ren, there was a report of possible action on the planet Anaxyrus. Several units were standing by, ready for action, including the Knights of Ren. That explained Ren’s absence. He was probably down in the hangar, waiting to go into battle. It was tempting to order the Knights recalled, but Hux was fairly certain Ren would just ignore him. And it wasn’t as if the conversation was that important. Not to mention it likely wouldn’t take Ren any time at all to wrap things up on the planet.

Less than an hour later, their forces were launched. Hux noted that the Knights of Ren were in the second ship to depart. Before any of the ships actually landed, unmanned camera craft were in position, which allowed Hux to watch as Ren’s ship landed. 

Ren was immediately met with blaster fire, even before he left the ship, but they returned fire and soon had a clear path out of the ship. To Hux’s surprise, there were no stormtroopers on board, just the Knights of Ren. None of which, as far as Hux could tell, were armed with blasters. It was hard to tell what they might have had under their robes, but he couldn’t imagine there were enough blasters between them to return that much fire. It wasn’t until Ren - Kylo, since they all went by Ren - ignited his lightsaber that Hux figured it out.

Every now and then, Hux would glance at the other cameras to see that his stormtroopers were performing well, but making slow progress. Anaxyrus was heavily armed. And the Resistance had a presence there as well. But nothing seemed to slow Kylo down and he marched on, taking out everyone who stood in his way.

Hux had never spent much time actually watching Kylo in battle, but now that he did, he couldn’t help the awe he felt. He was fighting with his weapon, the Force, and his body, and he didn’t seem to care which he used. In one moment, he was throwing someone using the Force, then running someone else through with his lightsaber, and then a second later, using his fist to take out yet another combatant. 

He didn’t think he’d ever been so turned on in his life. He could have watched Kylo fight for hours, although he would have preferred to do so in the privacy of his quarters. But they had a battle to win. And everyone who wasn’t armed with a lightsaber seemed to be struggling. But Hux could fix that. If Kylo was willing to help. He remembered what happened the last time he’d tried telling Kylo what to do during a battle, but hopefully he would get better results this time.

“Ren,” Hux said, before remembering that wasn’t specific enough. “Kylo. This is Hux.”

“I know.”

“There’s a cannon about five-hundred meters to the north of your position. You can probably hear it. It’s been keeping everyone else pinned down. Do you think you could take it out?”

“Yes.”

Hux could hear how hard he was breathing, which explained the short answers. It didn’t explain how easily Kylo had agreed to his plan, though. Still, Hux wasn’t going to complain about that. He watched as Kylo and two other Knights battled their way towards the cannon. Fortunately, they were too close for the cannon to fire at them, but it was heavily guarded.

The Knights of Ren seemed to be winning the battle, but not as fast as Hux would have liked. Suddenly, the camera feed went offline and the vehicle was reported as destroyed.

“Get another camera on them immediately!” Hux barked.

Although his people complied with the command, it still felt like forever before he had eyes on Kylo again. When the new camera was in place, he could see that the Knights had been victorious and had control of the cannon. He’d expected Kylo to simply trash it with his lightsaber as he did with so many other things, but it looked instead like they were redirecting it.

Hux smiled as he realized their plan. Turning their own weapons against them was a much better plan than simply destroying it, as long as they didn’t loses control of it. At least with the Knights, there didn’t seem to be much of a chance of that happening. The cannon fired towards the nearby city and soon, there were reports of severe damage coming in.

“Hux!” Kylo’s voice shouted over the comm. “You got a location on the anti-aircraft weapons?”

“Sending them now,” Hux said, looking to the nearest lieutenant who started the transmission. Not too much later, all the anti-aircraft weapons within range of the cannon were destroyed. There were still others out there, but at least now, they could get some of their fighters in the sky.

The First Order forces continued to make progress, led by the Knight of Ren. They were the ones who cleared the way for the rest of the troops and Hux couldn’t take his eyes off of Kylo as he fought. As soon as the city was secure and the First Order had won the battle, Hux commed Kylo.

“Kylo, I need you to return to the _Finalizer_ as soon as possible.”

“On my way.”

Hux watched as a shuttle came and picked him up and then he made his way to the hangar so he could meet them. It was only when he arrived that he fully realized why he had order Kylo back and that it was strange that he had complied. The only reason he needed to see him in person was because he was horny. And he couldn’t think of another reason before Kylo’s shuttle arrived.

As soon as the ramp descended, Hux walked up it. Kylo seemed confused, but it was hard to tell as he still wore his mask.

“Take this off,” he said as he reached for the mask. He’d seen him remove it but he’d never done so himself and couldn’t immediately figure out how it worked. Kylo reached up and guided his hands to the release and he allowed Hux to take it off.

“You called me Kylo.”

Hux didn’t care what he had to say. He dropped the mask and grabbed him by the front of his robes, pulling him into a kiss. He could smell that he was absolutely filthy, but he didn’t care. In fact, he could feel himself growing harder at the thought of all the blood that was probably on his robes and he pressed his hips against him, hoping he could feel it through all his layers.

“Hux?” Kylo pushed him away. “What’s going on?”

“I want you to fuck me,” he said.

“What? Why?”

“Does it matter?” Hux reached for his belt and undid it but Kylo pushed his hands away before he could take anything else off.

“You called me back to the ship for this. That’s not like you. And you called me Kylo. You never call me that.”

“Is that the reason you were so obedient, Kylo? Is that all I’ve needed to say? Well, then, Kylo. Please fuck me, Kylo.”

That seemed to do the trick and Kylo was on him, pushing him against a wall as he kissed him. Hux wrapped one arm around him, wanting to hold him close while his other hand tried to remove their clothing. He was only mildly successful at that, but Kylo was soon helping him.

“You really want to do this here?” Kylo asked, glancing around the shuttle. Most of their clothes were already on the floor and Hux was not about to get dressed just to fuck Kylo somewhere else.

“You have a bed on board. And lube, I presume?”

Kylo nodded then picked him up. Hux gave out a little cry of alarm but then relaxed against him, inhaling his scent and thinking about how less than an hour ago, the same arms that carried him were striking down the enemies of the Order. He couldn’t help but bury his face against Kylo’s neck and kiss him.

Soon they were in Kylo’s on board quarters, which really only consisted of a bed and enough room to walk inside. But they really didn’t need much. Kylo put Hux down on the bed, but he didn’t let go of him, continuing to kiss him. One hand reached inside Hux’s underwear, sliding around under him to cup his ass.

“We’re going to need lube,” Hux reminded him.

Kylo only grunted in response and as he pulled his underwear down over his hips, Hux noticed a small bottle on the bed. He was about to ask where that had come from, but he really didn’t care if Kylo could materialize lube out of thin air. It would be a quite useful trick.

He could feel Kylo’s cock pressing against him and he pushed against him, wanting him to roll over on his back, but Kylo didn’t budge. He kept kissing him, which was nice, but Hux wanted something else. 

“Get on your back,” he ordered. After he thought about it, he added, “Kylo.”

Kylo did as he asked, getting off of him and lying on his back, watching Hux with needy eyes. Hux couldn’t believe what was happening. He’d been married to Kylo for nearly two years and he’d never seen him like this, so desperate and wanting. Hux had never felt that way either and looking at Kylo’s body, it was hard to believe it had taken so long. He really was gorgeous, even if his personality left a lot to be desired. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Kylo was there and that he was his.

Hux ran a finger up his cock, smiling as Kylo tried thrusting against him. He wanted to tease him and draw it out, listen to Kylo begging to come, but he also really wanted his cock and he wasn’t patient enough to wait much longer for it.

He settled himself in between Kylo’s legs, breathing in his scent. That wasn’t enough and he had to taste him, letting his tongue flick out over his balls, which was enough to bring a whimper out of Kylo. He gently sucked one of his balls into his mouth, needing to hear how he’d react, and he was not disappointed, although he wasn’t as loud as Hux hoped.

Hux put a hand on his cock and stroked up his length. He’d wanted to have that cock inside him ever since he’d seen how large he was, but he’d never wanted to admit it, even to himself. But there was nothing to hold him back now. He rubbed a finger over the head, which was dripping with precome. The first time Hux saw how much precome Kylo produced, he thought it was disgusting. Now, he loved it and wanted nothing more than to taste him.

He mouthed his way up from his balls, gently sucking at him as he made his way up. Kylo moaned, louder now, as Hux started to take him in his mouth. Hux looked up at him, encouraged by the desperate look in Kylo’s eyes. Hux took him further in his mouth, much further than he’d ever attempted before. Usually, he just wanted to get Kylo off as soon as possible and get it over with, but now he wanted him to feel good.

Kylo started to thrust into his mouth but that quickly started to get uncomfortable, so Hux put a hand on his hip. That stilled him, but he reached down and ran a hand through his hair, surprisingly gentle. Hux thought he’d have to tell Kylo to keep his hands off, but he found that he liked it.

“Hux,” Kylo whined. “You have to stop. I’m gonna come.”

That was enough to get Hux to take his mouth off of him, as he had other plans for his cock and he didn’t want to wait for him to get hard again. He slid up Kylo’s body and kissed him, cradling his face with one hand while the other searched for the bottle of lube.

“You have any preferences about how we do this?”

“Uh.” Kylo looked a bit dazed and Hux couldn’t help but kiss him, which didn’t seem to help matters.

“Well, I want you behind me, then.”

Hux sat up and lubed up a finger before reaching behind himself and pressing inside. He wanted to feel Ren’s fingers inside him, opening him up, and he couldn’t help but imagine his tongue on him. But that was another thing they could explore later. Hux knew he could get himself ready much faster and that was the most important thing currently.

As he fingered himself, he turned around, exposing himself to Kylo. It was the first time he’d had himself so exposed to Kylo. Usually, they left most of their clothes on, only removing what was necessary. Kylo sat up behind him, placing a hand on his ass, his hand so large it felt like it covered his entire ass.

“Kylo.” Hux handed him the bottle of lube. He was ready enough for him.

He felt a large finger sliding between his cheeks, followed by light pressure at his hole. But it wasn’t his finger that he wanted. At least he didn’t have to ask him for it. Soon, he felt something much larger pressing against him. He pushed back against him, and Kylo gave him what he wanted. He slowly entered him and Hux couldn’t help the moan that came out.

Hux couldn’t remember ever feeling so full. Soon he could feel Kylo’s hips on his ass, but he didn’t move like Hux expected him to. He’d thought he’d be rough and ferociously pound him, but instead, he wrapped his arms around him and kissed his neck and just held him. Hux pushed himself against him, wanting him to start moving, but he just sat there, holding him.

“Kylo, please,” he begged, trying to fuck himself on his cock. “Please fuck me.”

He seemed to get the hint and started to pull out, but he didn’t go very far before he pushed back inside. As much as he liked a rough fuck, Hux really couldn’t compain, as the gentleness was nice too. But when Kylo continued to move slowly, Hux really couldn’t take it.

“You can go faster, you know.”

“Sorry. I just…” Kylo didn’t finish that thought, normally an annoying trait of his, but instead of speaking he started fucking him properly.

Hux knew he was loud but he really didn’t care. He couldn’t help himself with that cock inside him, and the louder he was, the more it seemed to excite Kylo. He was gripping him by the shoulders and Hux was fairly certain that he could have held him up just like that. He partially tested that by bringing one hand down to his cock, stroking himself as Kylo fucked him.

“Hux, I’m gonna come,” he moaned out.

“Yes, Kylo, come in me,” Hux begged and that seemed to do the trick. He gave a few more thrusts, and then he slowed down as Hux felt him coming. Kylo held him up for several moments, but then he pulled out and Hux had to support his own weight on his arm. 

“Kylo,” Hux said, turning to face him. “There’s one more thing I need from you.”

Kylo immediately reached for his cock, and although it was nice he wanted to help him get off too, it wasn’t exactly what Hux had in mind. He pushed Kylo down onto the bed, surprised at how easy he fell back. He straddled him and started stroking his cock. 

Looking at Kylo underneath him and remembering how he had looked in battle, it didn’t take long before Hux came on his chest. He couldn’t ever remember coming so hard or so loud, and he ended up falling down on top of Kylo, finding his lips without even thinking about it.

“Hux,” Kylo said after a while. “What just happened?”

“We had sex, you idiot.”

“Why?”

Hux rolled off of him, suddenly reminded of all the reasons he didn’t like Kylo. “Because we wanted to. There’s really not that much to it. You’ve got a sonic on board, don’t you?”

Hux didn’t need to wait for an answer as he knew the shuttle’s specifications. He thought Kylo would end up sitting in his quarters and pouting, but instead, he followed him into the sonic.

“There isn’t room for both of us,” Hux said, stepping inside first. With any luck, he could get clean and dressed and be gone before Kylo could do the same. 

“I want to talk to you.”

“Go ahead, then,” he said as he started the shower. Of course, Kylo said nothing. He squeezed into the shower with him, and Hux wanted to complain about personal space, but it was rather pointless. Kylo had never cared about such things. They were both nearly clean before he actually spoke.

“You called me back for sex.”

“Obviously.” Hux turned the sonic off as soon as he was finished. If Kylo still needed it, he could turn it back on.

“You called me Kylo.”

“I did.” He left the shower to track down his clothes, and Kylo followed. 

“Why?”

“It’s your name, isn’t it?”

“You’ve never used it before.”

“Your Knights were down there too,” Hux said. “I wanted it to be clear which one of you I was speaking too.”

“You did it here too.”

“I wanted you to shut up and fuck me. Seemed like that was the quickest way to do that, and it worked.”

Kylo fell silent again as they both dressed. He hoped that would be the end of Kylo’s questions. Why he had to ask about such irrelevant things was beyond Hux. But just as he was putting his belt back on, Kylo spoke up again.

“You just wanted sex? Nothing more?”

“What more is there to want?”

Kylo was fully dressed again, except for his helmet. Hux looked up at him and thought he looked sad, or maybe disappointed. For a moment, he thought he understood exactly what it was he wanted. But he knew that couldn’t be right. Kylo hated him - he told him as much. Whatever he was getting at now, Hux had no idea.

“You’re lying.” Kylo put his helmet back on and left, not giving any further explanation.

As much as Hux would have liked to forget about Kylo’s questioning, he couldn’t help but think about his last words as he made his way back to the bridge. Had he read his mind? What was he supposed to be lying about? He definitely wanted sex, and if there had been something more to it, then that was his own business. Kylo certainly shouldn’t care.

Unless perhaps Kylo didn’t actually hate him.

***

“You and the general have done well,” Snoke said to Kylo. “Rumors of an unhappy marriage have completely ceased.”

That wasn’t surprising. They hadn’t fought in public since the diplomatic mission. They’d barely even fought in private. Instead, they just had sex, and there was no need to discuss anything. Or at least, that’s what Hux seemed to think. Kylo still wanted to know what had caused the sudden change in Hux’s behavior, but as always, he refused to talk.

“I do have some concerns about the nature of your relationship,” Snoke continued. “While I expect you to put on a good show for the Order, I never expected this to become anything more. In fact, it’s for the best that you don’t form an emotional attachment to your husband.”

“I won’t,” Kylo said.

“It seems to me you’re already on your way to doing so.”

Kylo felt the familiar feeling of Snoke probing into his mind. He knew he couldn’t hide everything from him, but he could make sure he saw only what he wanted him to see. Kylo thought of some of their most aggressive encounters, which wasn’t hard. Even though they were getting along better, they still pushed and bit and knocked each other down. And fortunately, Snoke wouldn’t dig too deep into those thoughts. All he had to do was bring his thoughts to the parts where they started to remove their clothing, and he felt Snoke withdrawing.

“I would still caution you,” Snoke said. “As my apprentice, you need to be focused on your training, your commitment to the dark. You don’t need… distractions.”

“It means nothing to me. He means nothing to me.”

“You warned me once that he wanted to kill me. Don’t think that he wouldn’t do the same to you.”

“I know.”

Snoke dismissed him and he headed back to his quarters. As he made his way back, he realized that he shouldn’t have had to try so hard to hide the nature of their relationship from Snoke. If he really had no feelings at all, he should have just let him see that. As much as he didn’t like to admit it, he had started to like Hux.

Hux’d been starting to open up to him, letting Kylo feel him in the Force. It had started on the diplomatic mission, just little hints until that final night when he’d thought that maybe things would change between them. Maybe some sort of friendship would be possible.

When he’d been promoted and they were given command of the _Finalizer_, Hux let him feel his joy and he’d even allowed Kylo to give him a kiss. And in that brief moment, they’d been happy. But then they’d gone back to normal. Kylo always away on missions and Hux busy with work. There were a few moments where things felt right between them, but they were just that, few.

And then Hux had jumped him on his shuttle and Kylo had felt absolutely everything. It had been overwhelming. He could feel just how much Hux wanted him, something he’d never expected from anyone, least of all Hux. Although he knew how Hux felt, he of course wouldn’t admit to it.

Since then, Kylo had sensed many new things from Hux and he wanted more. It was easy enough to get Hux to open up too - he didn’t seem to be able to hold back while they were having sex. Most of all, Kylo needed to feel how much Hux wanted him. He only wished he could admit it.


	6. Chapter 6

After a day of training with his knights, Kylo couldn’t wait to get back to his quarters and his husband. In the weeks since Hux had practically ordered him to have sex, they were getting along much better than they ever had. Things were far from perfect - Hux wouldn’t admit to having feelings and Kylo had to make sure that his feelings were under control.

Kylo knew he’d be punished if Snoke ever learned that he was starting to like Hux, and it was very likely Hux would be punished as well. It was the one positive thing about Hux always keeping his emotions locked away - they weren’t as easily accessible to Snoke. At some point, Kylo would have to warn Hux about him, but he hadn’t had a chance to yet. 

The last time Kylo had spoken to Snoke, he’d been very interested in their relationship. He had no idea if Hux was being asked about it as well, but he didn’t want Hux to meet with Snoke and be surprised if he probed his mind. He’d make sure to tell Hux as soon as he could, and he wouldn’t let Hux distract him.

Kylo found Hux sitting at his desk in a bathrobe, reading reports as he usually did before going to bed. Kylo didn’t say anything as he walked in, using the Force to try to read his mood. All he could tell was that he was focused, which meant he wouldn’t appreciate him interrupting to talk about their relationship.

Instead he got ready for bed, although he actually planned on meditating. Sometimes, he simply fell asleep and he didn’t want to sleep in his robes again. Once he’d stripped down to an undershirt and some loose pants, he settled down on the floor and reached out with the Force, feeling it around him.

He almost immediately focused in on Hux, which really wasn’t the point of the meditation, but he couldn’t help it. He was right there, and Kylo couldn’t help trying to see if he could somehow connect better with him. Maybe he’d finally figure out just why Hux wouldn’t admit anything to him.

As he usually did with meditation, Kylo lost track of time and he snapped out of it to find Hux standing over him. He blinked up at him, wondering if he’d felt anything. The Force had not been helpful in figuring Hux out, so he didn’t try again. But he still wanted to know why Hux wouldn’t just tell him how he felt.

The only thing he could do was try to talk to him. He hadn’t tried since the shuttle. But it had been months. Maybe Hux would finally talk to him. He never got the chance.

“It’s easier to fuck you if you’re on the bed,” Hux said.

Kylo scrambled to his feet and Hux pulled him into a kiss. Along with it, Kylo felt that desire from Hux that he so badly needed. He let Hux push him onto the bed and he held him tight as they continued to kiss. He wanted nothing more than to let Hux do whatever he wanted but he remembered that he needed to talk to him, and not just about them. He had to warn him.

“Snoke knows,” he said. He could feel Hux’s arousal dying at the mention of Snoke. 

“Knows what?” Hux said with a sigh. He sat back a little but was still on top of his legs.

“About us.”

“Well, yes, I imagine he does given that he’s the one who made us get married.”

“No. This. What we’re doing.”

“That we have sex? I didn’t want to know that he knows that, but it’s not that far of a stretch. We’re married, so we might as well have sex with each other.”

“He doesn’t like the part about the feelings.”

“He’s delusional if he thinks this is anything besides sex.”

Kylo sighed and pushed Hux off of him. He could still feel that Hux wanted him, but he could tell he was starting to shut down again. “Why can’t you just admit it? That this is more.”

“Because it’s not. I’m sorry if I led you to believe this is something different.” Hux got up and started to walk away, but he turned and looked back at Kylo. “Can I ask you something?”

Kylo nodded, although he wasn’t really in the mood to talk any longer. Hux would never admit to having any feelings, not even to himself. Kylo could never have a relationship with someone like that. At least Snoke would be satisfied.

“You seem to care about this, which I find odd given how much you hate me. Is that how you really feel about me?”

Kylo didn’t answer immediately, not sure why Hux was even asking. He claimed not to feel anything towards him - although Kylo knew that was a lie - so why did he care if Kylo hated him? Hux was trying to convince himself that he was only fucking him because he was convenient. 

“I don’t know,” he answered eventually. “I thought… no. I do hate you.” He couldn’t figure out how to tell him the truth, that there were definitely times when he didn’t hate Hux. There were times he even liked him. But that didn’t matter because Hux would never admit to anything.

He thought Hux would just leave but instead he returned to the bed and sat down next to him. Kylo looked at him not sure what he was doing. He didn’t speak, and neither did Kylo. After a while, Kylo started to wonder if Hux would ever say anything or do anything besides sit there.

“I know that’s not entirely true. We’ve gotten along before and I feel like we could again. Am I doing something? I’ve been thinking about it and after we start to get along, we suddenly don’t. I can’t think of anything I’ve done, and whatever I’ve done, it hasn’t been intentional. If you tell me what I’ve done wrong, I can try to fix it.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“I… I don’t know. I do want to get along, though. I’ve always wanted to make this marriage as easy as possible. And we clearly both enjoy the sex and maybe even each other’s company. So how do we make this work?”

“We can’t.”

“Why not? And don’t just say you hate me.”

“Because you’re… you.” Kylo leaned back on the bed. He didn’t want to explain it and have Hux laugh at his reasons, but he did ask. “You hide your emotions. I can always feel them. Under the surface. And then you push them away. I hate it.”

“I see.”

Hux would say that he couldn’t change who he was and that emotions were a useless thing and walk away and that’d be the end of it. Their relationship would always be terrible. Kylo was just waiting for him to say the words.

“I don’t know if I can change that. But I can tell you that I do care about you, Kylo. At least when you’re not destroying expensive equipment.”

Kylo could feel that Hux was telling the truth and he couldn’t believe it. His mind went through several other possibilities besides Armitage Hux telling him he cared about him. Maybe he was hallucinating, maybe he was picking up on someone else in the Force, maybe this Hux was a clone. But then Hux laid down next to him and placed a hand on his cheek. It was definitely real.

“I want to do better,” he said. “I’ll… try. I’m not sure how I can do what you need me to do. But I will try.”

“I can show you.”

Hux nodded without hesitation and Kylo pressed his forehead against Hux and then found their connection in the Force. He’d been reading Hux since he entered the room, but he needed a stronger connection. The physical contact helped. So did the fact that Hux was open at the moment.

Once he felt like he could access Hux the way he needed to, Kylo showed him his memories. More accurately, he let Hux feel how he experienced those memories. Kylo started at the beginning, when they first met in Snoke’s throne room, letting him feel how disappointing it was to learn what kind of man he would become attached to. He then moved on to the night he’d found Hux in tears, letting Hux see that moment when Kylo thought they had a chance and that they could get along. And then he showed him the following day, when Hux had crushed that thought. He then showed him every time since that Hux had allowed himself to feel something and how much that had meant to him, how he couldn’t be comfortable around him when he was shut off.

When he was done, he withdrew from Hux’s mind and opened his eyes. Hux was staring at him and Kylo couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He resisted the urge to read his mind, wanting Hux to tell him. 

“That was… that’s how you experience things?”

Kylo nodded, still not sure if Hux’s reaction would be positive or not. He dreaded that it wouldn’t be and that Hux would think he was a freak. He might want nothing to do with him now that he knew that Kylo was feeling things from him constantly.

“It’s quite strange to be feeling my emotions through you,” Hux said. “But I think I finally understand. You need to be loved.”

“What?” That was not what Kylo expected him to say and it wasn’t at all what he needed from Hux. But Hux just smiled and kissed him, and Kylo couldn’t deny that was exactly what he wanted.

“You didn’t want to be married to someone you couldn’t love and who wouldn’t love you. No wonder you hated me. I almost wish I had known before, but I’m not sure I would have treated this information correctly before.”

“What are you going to do with it now?”

“I would like to give you what you need. I’m afraid this might be the best I can do.” Hux kissed him again, gently stroking the side of his face. Kylo put his hand on his, holding it in place even as Hux pulled away. “I think your initial assessment of me might be correct. That I am incapable of love.”

“No,” Kylo said, giving him another quick kiss. “This is good. Whatever this is. It’s enough.” He didn’t know if that was true or not, but even if Hux tried, it was more than Kylo ever expected from him. He would make it enough.

Hux continued to kiss him and it didn’t take long before he started to remove his clothes. They were both fortunately not fully dressed, so it was a much easier process to get their layers off. Soon, Hux rolled on top of him and Kylo wrapped his arms around him.

Hux was gently rocking his hips against him, his cock rubbing against his. Kylo knew that they’d need lube before long but he wasn’t about to get up or let Hux up. Instead, he used the Force, bringing it closer to them and dropping it on the bed. Hux seemed to notice as he lifted his head and glanced at it before turning back to Kylo with a smile.

“Such a waste of power,” he said, although Kylo knew he didn’t really mean it. “How do you want to do this?”

“Don’t care.” He brought his head up so he could kiss Hux’s neck. He really didn’t care how they had sex. The only thing he cared about was Hux.

Hux started to slide off of him, grabbing the lube and leaving a trail of kisses as he went. Kylo couldn’t help the moan that came out when Hux’s tongue brushed over one of his nipples. They were always so sensitive, and sometimes, Hux liked to use that to turn Kylo into a desperate, whiny mess. But he had other plans for him, because he didn’t linger on his chest. 

He swiped over his cock very quickly with his tongue and Kylo wanted more. But Hux pulled away slightly and nudged his ass higher. He kissed the insides of his thighs and soon a slick finger was nudging his rim. Kylo tried pressing himself down lower onto Hux’s finger, but he pulled away.

“Patience,” Hux murmured against his thigh. He continued to kiss him on his legs and stomach, his face brushing against his cock, which was the one place Kylo really wanted his lips. As he kissed him, Hux’s finger continued to tease him, sometimes almost pushing inside but not quite.

“Hux,” Kylo whined as Hux licked very close to his balls. “Please. Fuck me. I need -”

He didn’t have a chance to finish that thought because Hux finally put his mouth on his cock at the same time he pressed his finger inside. Kylo couldn’t deny that Hux was very good at what he did - he always knew the right things to do to make him desperate for more. He tried not to dwell too much on the way Hux felt in the Force. He was certainly excited, but it felt almost as if he was trying to solve a problem.

But Kylo would take whatever he could get from Hux and at least on the physical side of things, there were no complaints. Except maybe that Hux took his time. Even then, Kylo really couldn’t complain as he loved everything that Hux did to him.

When he pulled his fingers out, Kylo whined, feeling empty, but he knew it wouldn’t last. Hux moved back up his body and he could feel Hux’s cock at his entrance. As with everything else, Hux took his time as he pushed inside. When he was finally all the way in, he rested his forehead against Kylo’s, his hands cradling his head.

“Is this okay?”

Kylo opened his mouth but found that he couldn’t speak, so he just nodded. Hux smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. It was such a soft kiss, Kylo wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t imagined it. He didn’t have long to think about it because soon Hux was moving, slowly sliding out and gently pushing back in.

It was the slowest, gentlest fuck of Kylo’s life and he could hardly believe it was his husband of all people giving it to him. His arms and legs wrapped around him, wanting to keep Hux as close as possible. As he fucked him, Hux kissed him all over his face and neck and shoulders and any other part of him that he could reach.

“You’re so sweet like this,” Hux murmured against him. “So needy and practically screaming my name.”

Kylo wanted to argue that he was not screaming, but now that Hux pointed it out, he realized he was very loud and when Hux pushed against his prostate, he did it again. His arms tightened around Hux - this was exactly how he wanted things to be between them and he wanted the moment to last forever.

Kylo knew it wouldn’t even last that much longer. He was far too close and soon, he was spilling over his abdomen, making a mess of Hux as well. Hux wasn’t far behind and Kylo could feel him coming in his ass. Hux then collapsed against him, laying on top of him. Slowly, Kylo started to relax his grip, but he wasn’t nearly ready to completely let go yet.

“Kylo,” Hux said eventually, sitting up as much as Kylo would allow. “I’m not going to spend the entire night in this filth.”

“Why not?” Even as he tried to think of a good argument, he knew Hux would never agree to it. But just because he wanted to clean up didn’t mean Kylo had to let him go far. He let his arms slip from around him, keeping his hands on Hux’ waist.

“Come on,” Hux said. He slowly climbed off of him, but Kylo never stopped touching him. He stood up to stay with him and draped himself over Hux’s back as he headed for the refresher. Hux tried pushing him off, but Kylo stayed on him, making it a very awkward walk to the shower.

Kylo turned the shower on using the Force, not wanting to give Hux any excuse to move away from him. Even when they stepped into the shower, Kylo stayed pressed against Hux’s back and he started kissing his neck.

“Kylo,” Hux said, putting a hand on his cheek, “as nice as this is, we’ll never get clean this way.”

He knew Hux was right and was surprised that Hux let him continue as long as he did. Equally surprising was the way he was telling him to stop. Kylo couldn’t even argue against him when he was so nice about it. With one last kiss, Kylo finally peeled away from him, only maintaining contact with his hands.

“I hope this won’t get you too excited,” Hux said as he grabbed the soap. Kylo wasn’t sure what he meant but then he started to wash him. Had he not just had what was likely the best orgasm of his life, Kylo might have gotten hard, but he didn’t have to worry about that.

After Hux washed him, Kylo returned the favor. He’d never had much of a chance to really pay attention to Hux’s body before. Whenever he’d seen him unclothed, they were too busy having sex and afterwards, Hux never lingered. Now he had the chance to really look at him and touch him. Despite being nearly the same height, Hux was much smaller than he was and Kylo couldn’t believe that his general was so slight.

Kylo couldn’t decide what he liked most about him - his pink nipples, his small waist, or his tiny butt. He thought he might be able to fit his hands all the way around his waist and since Hux was right there, he had to try. He put his hands on him, and although his fingers didn’t touch, he could really see how small Hux was.

“What are you doing?” Hux asked. Kylo started to pull away, thinking Hux was mad, but he sounded curious, not angry.

“I just wanted to see something.” He had finished washing Hux, and since they were both clean, he turned the water off and then used the Force to summon a towel. He quickly dried them both off and they returned to the bedroom.

“Having two beds is actually quite useful in a situation like this,” Hux said.

Despite how nice Hux had been, Kylo realized he’d just been waiting for it to end. Hux would go to his own bed, and tell Kylo that he had to sleep in his own, which was the one they’d just had sex on. It wouldn’t be the first time that they’d had that exact situation where one of them had to change their sheets while the other had a clean bed waiting for them, but Kylo wasn’t ready to part from Hux.

“Why do you look like someone just crashed your Silencer? Come on, Kylo. We’ll clean up tomorrow.”

Hux grabbed his arm and pulled him over to his bed. Not only was Hux going to let him share his bed, but he held him too. Kylo couldn’t help but press himself as close to Hux as possible, resting his head on Hux’s shoulder. 

“Is this what you need?” Hux asked just as Kylo was started to drift off.

“Yes.” It was what Kylo needed, but the question was a reminder that Hux was only trying to fit into a role. He did a good job, but Kylo wanted it to be real. He knew it never would be, but he could live with that. Hux was at least trying, and it was more than Kylo ever hoped for with him. It was more than anyone else had given him.

***

For the first time in Hux’s life, it felt like everything was going right. He was the top general in the First Order, his pet project was ready for use, and he was even getting along with his husband. He felt that Kylo still wanted more from him, but Hux didn’t think he would ever truly love him. The ability to love had been beaten out of him a long time ago. But at least they weren’t constantly fighting and trying to undermine each other.

Then, almost overnight, things spiralled out of control. He should have known when there were reports of lightsaber damage on the Finalizer. Kylo had long since learned to find Hux when he was feeling frustrated. Sex often was enough to calm him down and keep him from destroying things. Sadly, he didn’t have time to discuss things with Kylo.

Right after Starkiller’s success, it was destroyed. Hux knew when there was no chance of saving his life’s work and made his report to Snoke, who only seemed to care about Kylo. Not that Hux minded being asked to bring his husband with him. Although there had been plenty of times he might have liked to kill him in the past, Hux was sure he would miss Kylo if he was gone.

Fortunately, he’d given Kylo a tracker so it was easy enough to find him on the doomed planet. When he saw him lying in the snow, his heart fell. He wasn’t moving and the snow around him was stained with blood.

“Get down there immediately!” Hux shouted, already making his way to the ramp. He had to get to Kylo and see if he was okay. As he ran across the snow, he feared the worst. He kneeled down next to him, pressing his cheek to his. He was cold.

“No, Kylo,” Hux muttered. “You don’t get to die and leave me. You can’t get away from me that easily.”

Kylo’s eyes fluttered open and Hux felt a sense of relief. He was alive. But that was quickly replaced by a sense of urgency. He needed medical care and they were on a planet getting ready to implode. 

“Get him on the shuttle!” Hux barked to the approaching troopers. He would have liked to carry him himself, but he was hard enough to move while conscious. 

Hux stayed by his side as they made it back to the shuttle. There was no medical officer on board so they could only do the bare minimum to keep him alive - make sure the bleeding stopped and get him warm. Even when they made it back to the Finalizer, Hux followed Kylo as he was taken to medical, prepared to stay with him until he was recovered. As he watched him sleep, he took his gloves off, wanting to touch him. He stroked the side of his face, hoping he’d wake up soon.

“Hux,” Kylo said, barely louder than a whisper. He reached a hand out and Hux took it.

“You should rest,” Hux said.

“I’m fine,” he said. As if to prove it, he pulled Hux towards him. He stood up, going to stand at the side of the bed, and then Kylo pulled him down, although Hux was careful not to actually land on him, instead falling down next to him. He was covered with fresh injuries, and Hux didn’t want to make them worse.

“You are not fine,” Hux said. He looked at his shoulders and his abdomen. He’d been shot and hit with a lightsaber less than ten hours ago.

“The Force. It helped.” He then buried his face against Hux’s chest and held him tight. Hux wrapped one arm around his back, while the other cradled the back of his head. “You saved me, Hux.”

“I was just following orders.” He would have gone to get him anyway, or at least, he thought he would. But if Snoke hadn’t mentioned him, would he have thought to check on him?

“No,” Kylo said, shaking his head. “Not that. You. It was you.”

“Yes, Kylo. I was there.”

“I thought I was going to die. I should have. But you. I felt everything. And it gave me the strength I needed. The Force was stronger with you there.”

Hux sighed and held him. He had long ago realized he would never completely understand the Force, but he knew enough to know that Kylo had felt everything he had felt as he dragged him away from Starkiller. 

“Panic was what you needed to feel?”

“Love,” Kylo murmured against him. “You love me.”

“I…”

“You don’t need to say it. I can feel it. And…”

Kylo didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to. He sent him his feelings in the Force and he could feel that Kylo loved him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow [gaylo-ben on Tumblr](https://gaylo-ben.tumblr.com/) and Kittens on [Tumblr](https://threewinterssnow.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Battle_Walrus)  
[Tumblr link](https://gaylo-ben.tumblr.com/post/189155205693/kylux-the-starkiller-rescue-you-saved-me-hux) for the art :)


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